Azerbaijani activists praised the large-scale amnesty project

The amnesty proposed by Ilham Aliyev to mark Azerbaijan's Year of Constitution and Sovereignty will affect approximately 20,000 people. Local activists welcomed the amnesty initiative, noting that it will not resolve the issue of political prisoners.

As reported by the " Caucasian Knot ," Ilham Aliyev initiated the previous large-scale amnesty in November 2021, to mark Victory Day on November 8. Human rights activists suggested at the time that the amnesty, which would cover more than 15,000 people, would not extend to political prisoners .

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev submitted an amnesty act to parliament. The initiative is timed to coincide with the "Year of Constitution and Sovereignty" declared in Azerbaijan in 2025 and the restoration of the country's sovereignty over its entire territory, the state news agency AZERTAC reported today.  

The amnesty project provides for exemption from punishment or criminal liability for participants in military operations to defend 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 extend to the close relatives of those killed or missing during these operations, as well as to individuals who became disabled as a result of military action. 

Additionally, the amnesty applies to women, people over 60, and those who were minors at the time of the crime. In addition, those who committed minor and less serious crimes will be amnestied—they may be exempted from their sentence or have their remaining sentence reduced. 

According to an official statement, the current amnesty will be the largest since Azerbaijan's independence, covering 20,000 people. Of these, more than 5,000 will be released from prison sentences, more than 3,000 will have their prison sentences reduced, another 7,000 convicts will be released from restricted freedom, and 4,000 will be released from other non-custodial sentences or from suspended sentences. Criminal charges against approximately 1,000 more people will be dropped.

The draft amnesty resolution has not yet been published. A source in the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the draft amnesty act will be reviewed and adopted by parliament by the end of 2025, with implementation beginning immediately and being completed within four months.

Elshan Hasanov, co-coordinator of the Union for the Freedom of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan,   praised the amnesty initiative. "We have a large number of convicted individuals, many of whom are often victims of unfair investigations and trials, so any pardon or amnesty allows many unjustly convicted individuals to gain freedom. However, judging by official information regarding who will be included in the amnesty, most political prisoners will remain in prison. The fact is that political prisoners are typically imprisoned for serious crimes, and the amnesty will not apply to this category," Hasanov said.

According to him, human rights activists will soon publish a new list of political prisoners.

The amnesty act will not fundamentally resolve the problem of political prisoners, a professional lawyer and active civil society member who did not wish to be named confirmed to a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. 

"Any pardon or amnesty should be welcomed: Azerbaijan's prisons are already overcrowded, and an amnesty would open the doors to thousands of people. The full text of the draft Amnesty Act has not been published, but judging by the official announcement regarding which categories the amnesty will and will not apply to, it can be assumed that it will not affect the majority of political prisoners, whose number reaches 400. The fact is that the overwhelming majority of political prisoners are accused of or have already been convicted of serious crimes, and the amnesty does not apply to this category," the lawyer said.

As the " Caucasian Knot " reported, in 2024, the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan exceeded 300 for the first time since the early 2000s. On October 7, the Union for Freedom of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan  published  a new national list of political prisoners, including 392 names. The largest increase in prisoners occurred over the past year, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report " Key Points on the Record Number of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan ." However, Azerbaijani authorities  deny the existence  of political prisoners in the country.