“President’s Press Service Announcement”
Azerbaijan Pardons 801 Convicts on the 100th Anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev
Azerbaijan has pardoned 801 convicts on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev. The country’s president, Ilham Aliyev, signed an order on May 8, 2023, in response to appeals from a group of convicted persons, their family members, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and human rights organizations.
In the order, President Aliyev recalled the exceptional services done by Heydar Aliyev, the founder of the modern Azerbaijani state, in implementing fundamental reforms to build a democratic legal state. The president highlighted Heydar Aliyev’s keen interest in safeguarding human rights and freedoms, continuing humanity, compassion, and humanitarian traditions.
Under the order, 463 persons were released from serving their sentence, 220 persons were released from serving half of the unserved part of their sentence, and the remaining 118 persons were pardoned from other punishments unrelated to imprisonment, such as restriction of liberty, correctional works, fines, and conditional sentence.
This latest order is the biggest act on pardoning in the independent Republic’s history, and the text of the order will be published in the press. President Aliyev expressed his belief that the convicts released from punishment would make significant contributions to the development and prosperity of Azerbaijan’s independent state and society.
The importance of the occasion and the contributions of Heydar Aliyev will always be remembered as a landmark event in the country’s history. Azerbaijan will continue to honor the memory of the Great Leader and remain committed to his rich spiritual legacy based on universal values, rule of law, and justice ideals.
