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Azerbaijani Parliament approves Act of Amnesty - UPDATED

Azerbaijani Parliament approves Act of Amnesty - <span style="color: red;">UPDATED

07 May 2013 10:48 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Kamala Guliyeva – APA. The Azerbaijani Parliament discussed the Act of Amnesty on the occasion of Heydar Aliyev’s 90th anniversary. APA reports that the draft law on the Act of Amnesty was introduced by the First Lady of Azerbaijan, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, MP Mehriban Aliyeva.

Aliyeva said that great politician Heydar Aliyev lived and will forever live in the hearts of the Azerbaijani people: “Heydar Aliyev was a wise, strong, courageous person with great intellect and strong will. He is remembered with great activities toward Azerbaijanism and statehood. At the same time, Heydar Aliyev was also generous and humane person. He was friendly and modest with ordinary people. However, in various periods of his life he faced injustice and betrayal. Just in this hall the persons, whom he once promoted, groundlessly accused him. But Heydar Aliyev forgot most of these people when he was elected as President of Azerbaijan in 1993. It was Heydar Aliyev’s ability to forgive. Actually, the Act of Amnesty being discussed today means pardoning.”

Mehriban Aliyeva said that the adoption of such a law on the occasion of Heydar Aliyev’s 90th anniversary is of symbolic character: “I believe that forgiveness, goodwill, compassion can make changes to the good.”

The draft law will be applied to the following persons: the women, who were convicted for less grave crimes, who committed crimes under 18, persons falling under the group disability I and II, men aged 60, the persons, who have minor or disabled children, those who fought for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, those who were internally displaced as a result of the occupation of a part of Azerbaijan.

According to the proposals, the Act of Amnesty is to be applied to persons, whose unserved term of imprisonment is not more than a year, persons sentenced to corrective work, public work, persons, who were fined, those whose imprisonment was postponed, those who were given suspended sentence. According to the draft law, the Act of Amnesty can be applied to 9 000 persons. More than 2000 prisoners are expected to be released basing on this act.

The Act of Amnesty has been approved by 114 votes.