Gobustan penitentiary to be relocated until 2012

On February 11, Minister of Justice Fikret Mammadov met with the members of the Public Committee on Penitentiary System Control.

Coordinator of the Committee Alimammad Nuriyev told APA that they discussed improvement of employment of prisoners and other issues. “The ministry has taken series of measures for improvement of prisoners’ employment. Fikret Mammadov considered these measures important”.

Nuriyev said about 400 disabled people were jailed in the Azerbaijani penitentiaries. He said tuberculosis infection among the prisoners was reduced by 30%.

Nuriyev said there were some problems with extradition of foreign prisoners to their countries because opposite sides were not ready to receive them. “There are about one thousand foreign prisoners in the Azerbaijani penitentiaries now. Most of them are Russian and Iranian citizens”.

The coordinator said Gobustan penitentiary would move to the new building in Umbaki until 2012.

According to Nuriyev, 50% of the judge staff of the Azerbaijani courts was renovated. “Some judges were dismissed, some received warnings. The ministry urges the judges to be fair and not to violate laws. There are problems with premature conditional releasing of the prisoners. The ministry established a working group to learn these problems. We are expected to make amendments to the law about that”.


/APA/