Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. K.Zarbaliyeva / In September Milli Mejlis [Azerbaijani Parliament] will be presented amendments and annexes to the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. The member of the Working Group on improvement of Criminal Code, Jude of the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan, Muzeffer Agazade, said that presently proposals presented by the Council of Europe are being studied. According to him, the Working Group has received nearly 100 proposals. The suggestions that do not correspond to the traditions of Azerbaijan will not be accepted.
Agazade said that according to the European experts, preference has been given to the women in criminal legislation of Azerbaijan. And this fact is assessed as violation of man and woman equality. Taking it into consideration, the experts suggest to alter punishment, regimes intended for women. Another suggestion is to toughen the punishment implied for the intentional assassination. "The experts consider that Azerbaijan is only country where the minimal sentence for the intentional assassination is seven years. In the European countries, such crimes are sentenced to 20-30-year imprisonment," he said. After the proposals are studied, a project will be prepared and submitted to the Parliament of Azerbaijan. Amendments and annexes will be made to the Criminal Code on the base of the proposals at the end of 2006 or beginning of 2008.