The Cabinet of Ministers approved the Rules on cemeteries and ritual ceremonies

Baku / 12.12.18 / Turan: On December 4, 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan adopted the 522nd Decision on the Rules for the creation and management of cemeteries. The rules coverall aspects of memorial and funeral rituals, and describe the smallest detail. The rules are prepared with consideration of Civil, Urban Planning and Construction codes, laws "On the status of municipalities", "On freedom of religion" and other regulations of the country.

The rules provide standards for the distance of cemeteries from settlements, sanitation and cleanliness, protection of graves, the responsibility of the authorities and relatives of the deceased in the maintenance of cemeteries and graves, the right to buy space for future graves of still healthy family members, greening rules, registration, state registration (registry), transfer cemeteries, reburial, cost of ritual and cemetery services, the size of the graves depending on the category of the deceased.

The rules also clarify the procedure for washing the deceased and even the discharge of water used in this process, the rules for the burial of homeless persons, prisoners and residents of orphanages and nursing homes.

It even indicates the obligation of the owner of the car, who is obliged to wash the car after transporting the dead man.

Finally, rules for cremation and creation (control) of columbariums are provided.

The rules prohibit many traditions that are considered redundant in society and aimed at the demonstration of wealth. So, after the introduction of the Rules, all data of the deceased will need to be entered into the state register immediately after death, because without them a place in the cemetery will not be allocated; monuments and massive tombstones cannot be erected; it is forbidden to buy a burial site in advance for the living, excluding grave sites for the spouse or spouse of the buried; it will not be possible to enclose the grave with a fence.

The municipality will oversee the implementation of the law.

It should be noted that for many years, cemetery customs, customs and religious rules of burial and mourning and commemoration have been debated in Azerbaijani society. Society as a whole has a negative attitude towards cases of excessive, often defiantly commemorative, and other ritual ceremonies. The strict rules in this area of ​​public relations adopted by the authorities in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic are generally approved. The head of the Caucasian Muslims Office, Sheikh ul-Islam Pashazade and other public figures have repeatedly called for modest ceremonies and rituals, without burdensome expenses for the family of the deceased. -0-