Minister: Over 250 people released from detention facilities last month

By Azernews

More than 250 people were released from detention facilities in Azerbaijan last month, Justice Minister Fikrat Mammadov said in an exclusive interview with Azertac.

"President Ilham Aliyev`s orders to improve penitentiary system encouraged continuation of reforms in the judicial system and paved the way for rapid development in this area,” he added.

Mammadov noted that vital changes have been made to the legislation on the decriminalization of some actions in the economic sphere at the initiative of the President of Azerbaijan. "Thanks to these measures many convicts were released or had their sentence terms cut."

"Relevant draft laws are being drawn up by a joint working group of the Ministry of Justice, General Prosecutor's Office and the Supreme Court. The last month saw the release of more than 250 persons from detention facilities. Another achievement in this area is that the number of people remanded in custody has significantly fallen," Mammadov added.

He further said that proposals on the introduction of electronic surveillance devices are ready, adding that the proposals were prepared in accordance with instructions of President Ilham Aliyev.

"One of the most common electronic surveillance devices are electronic tags, which are attached to the individuals under the house arrest or parole. The electronic tags help monitor the whereabouts of such people,” he noted.

"Together with the Prosecutor General's Office we prepared the proposals on amendments to a relevant law of the Republic of Azerbaijan," he said. "We have studied the best international experience and held presentations of different tags.”