On May 20, Azerbaijan’s first lady, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, MP Mehriban Aliyeva had submitted a bill on “Amnesty Act†to the country’s parliament on the occasion of 28 May – Republic Day.
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According to the bill, the Amnesty Act will apply to those imprisoned for having committed crimes that did not pose significant public danger; those imprisoned for having crimes under the age of 18; men aged 60 prior to the date of entry into force of this decision; those considered disabled (first, second of third groups) prior to the date of entry into force of this decision; those who participated in the fighting for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan; those forcibly exiled from their native lands as a result of the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenian armed forces, as well as a number of prisoners belonging to other groups.
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The Amnesty Act will also cover those serving penalty in correctional facilities, whose remaining prison term to the date the decision came into force is no more than a year; those fined for having committed crimes that did not pose significant public danger; those conditionally sentenced to imprisonment or those freed prematurely of this kind of penalty or those whose penalty of this kind has been postponed, as well as a number of prisoners belonging to other groups.
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The Amnesty Act will apply to 10,000 prisoners, 3,500 of them will be released from the places of detention. Â
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