Thousands of Azerbaijanis to be released in amnesty
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 20 May 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Thousands of Azerbaijanis to be released in amnesty, 20 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/576901359.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
May 20, 2016
By RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service
BAKU – The Azerbaijani parliament has approved a proposal to grant amnesty to thousands of prisoners.
The Act on Amnesty, passed on May 20, is devoted to the Day of the Republic, which is marked in Azerbaijan on May 28 every year.
The proposal was made by first lady and lawmaker Mehriban Aliyeva.
Some 10,000 convicts will be affected by the amnesty, of which some 3,500 are to be released, lawmakers said.
They added that most people convicted for crimes that do not pose a "major threat" to society, people younger than 18 years, parents of handicapped children, men and women over 60 years of age, as well as war veterans will either have their prison terms reduced or be released from custody.
It is not clear if the amnesty will affect several people believed to have been jailed on politically motivated charges, including prominent investigative journalist and RFE/RL contributor Khadija Ismayilova, who is serving a 7 1/2 year prison term on charges that rights organizations and her supporters say are a result of her work as a journalist.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
