A Member of Parliament Proposes Amnesty Initiative

In Azerbaijan, there is a need to adopt an Amnesty Act, said Siyavush Novruzov, the head of the parliamentary committee on regional issues, during a session of the Milli Majlis on February 3. He reminded that since independence, Azerbaijan has adopted 13 amnesty acts and over 70 pardoning decrees. "The parliament can once again put forward such an initiative and prepare an amnesty act by Independence Day (May 28)," Novruzov said.

In his view, participants in the battles for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity could be included in the amnesty. Commenting on this proposal, human rights activist Samir Kazimli told Turan that despite dozens of acts of amnesty and pardons, Azerbaijan still faces a serious problem with political prisoners.

To fundamentally solve this issue, political will from the authorities is required, along with real judicial and legal reforms, judicial independence, and the cessation of politically motivated arrests.

“Pardons are often half-measures, and amnesties typically affect specific articles of the criminal code, which do not apply to political prisoners. As a result, the problem of political prisoners remains unresolved,” Kazimli said.

The last Amnesty Act was adopted four years ago, on November 5, 2021, for the Victory Day (of the Second Karabakh War). It affected 16,000 people, including 3,000 who were released from prison. However, this amnesty did not extend to political prisoners.