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Azerbaijan proposes tougher penalties for minor hooliganism, online public misconduct

30 December 2025 13:24 (UTC +04:00)

Actions that openly express disrespect for society but are not accompanied by the use of violence against individuals, threats of such violence, or the destruction or damage of another person’s property will be classified as minor hooliganism and will be subject to administrative arrest or fines, APA reports.

The provision is reflected in proposed amendments to the Administrative Offences Code, which were discussed at today’s session of the Milli Majlis.

Under the draft law, such acts of minor hooliganism will be punishable by a fine ranging from 50 to 100 manats. Depending on the circumstances of the case and taking into account the offender’s identity, if the imposition of these measures is deemed insufficient, administrative arrest for up to 15 days may be applied.

If actions that insult public morality or openly express disrespect for society are publicly displayed on an internet information resource or within an information and telecommunications network—including the use of obscene language, gestures creating the impression of such content, or the display of parts of the human body in a manner contrary to moral standards and national and spiritual values—a fine ranging from 500 to 1,000 manats will be imposed.

Depending on the circumstances of the case and taking into account the identity of the offender, if these measures are deemed insufficient, administrative arrest for up to 30 days may be applied.

If the same offense is committed repeatedly within one year from the date the decision imposing an administrative penalty enters into force, the offender will be fined from 1,000 to 2,000 manats. In cases where this is considered insufficient, administrative arrest for a period ranging from one to two months may be imposed.

The acts specified in these articles will be applied if they do not give rise to criminal liability under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code.

It was noted that recently there has been a widespread increase in openly disrespectful behavior toward society on social media platforms, including unethical posts and calls that do not align with moral values and are publicly disseminated. This process affects society as a whole, accelerates the degradation of national and moral values, and has a particularly negative impact on adolescents and young people by altering their patterns of behavior.

At the same time, the operating principles of social networks—designed to prioritize and promote content that attracts greater user attention—enable such unethical posts to spread rapidly to a wider audience. As a result, the emerging flow of information causes serious harm to public morality.

Current legislation provides liability only for certain categories of prohibited information. In order to ensure the protection of moral values, strengthen safeguards for adolescents and young people against harmful information, clarify responsibility mechanisms in the online environment, and improve existing regulation, the need has arisen to develop new legislation.

The draft law was put to a vote and adopted in the first reading.