Amnesty Will Not Solve the Political Prisoner Problem

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has submitted an Amnesty Act to the parliament. The initiative is timed to coincide with the "Year of Constitution and Sovereignty" declared in Azerbaijan for 2025, and the restoration of the country's sovereignty over its entire territory.

The draft amnesty provides for the release from punishment or criminal liability for participants in hostilities dedicated to defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, including the 44-day war of 2020 and the anti-terrorist operation of September 19–20, 2023. The amnesty will also cover close relatives of those killed or missing during these operations, as well as people who became disabled as a result of military actions.

In addition, the amnesty applies to women, people over 60, and those who were underage at the time the crime was committed. Besides them, individuals who committed minor and less grave crimes will be amnestied—they can count on release from punishment or a reduction in its unserved portion.

According to the official statement, the current amnesty will be the most extensive in the years of Azerbaijan's independence and will cover 20,000 people. Of these, more than 5,000 will be released from imprisonment, the prison term will be reduced for more than 3,000 people, another 7,000 convicts will be released from sentences involving restriction of freedom, and 4,000 from other non-custodial sentences or conditionally imposed sentences. Criminal charges will be dropped for approximately a thousand more people.

However, according to local activists, the amnesty will not solve the political prisoner problem, as it will not apply to those convicted of grave crimes. The majority of the almost 400 political prisoners in the country are accused or already convicted on fabricated cases specifically for grave crimes.