Baku, Azerbaijan, June 15
Trend:
Some 200 convicts were released from correctional facilities June 15 in accordance with the amnesty act, Nizamaddin Jalilov, major-general, deputy chief of the penitentiary service of the Azerbaijani justice ministry, told reporters June 15.
The amnesty act was adopted by the parliament of Azerbaijan May 20 on the initiative of Azerbaijan's First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva.
"The execution of the amnesty act, adopted on the occasion of May 28 - Republic Day, has started today and will last four months," he said.
"The penitentiary facilities have already begun to execute the amnesty act," he said. "The amnesty act as a whole will cover 10,000 prisoners. Of these, 3,500 prisoners will be released from the places of detention."
The amnesty act also covers those who have dependant minors or children with the first or second group of disability, the persons who have participated in battles for the defense of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, the persons displaced internally from their native lands as a result of the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories, and the persons of other categories.