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The Azerbaijani Parliament has today discussed the amendments and annexes proposed to the Law of the Azerbaijan Republic on Citizenship.
Chairman of the Azerbaijani Parliament’s Committee on Law Policy and State Building Ali Huseynli informed about the draft law.
The 2nd item annexed to the article #10 of the law means that an Azerbaijani citizen who obtained foreign citizenship is to provide written information the relevant executive authority about it within a month. If he or she doesn’t act so, he or she will bear responsibility in accordance with the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic”.
The name and context of the article #12 of the law was changed. According to the amendment, state persons’ child born on the territory of Azerbaijan is a citizen of the Azerbaijan Republic; the child born on the territory of Azerbaijan and whose one of parents is foreigner and another stateless person is not a citizen of the Azerbaijan Republic; the child born on the territory of Azerbaijan and whose parents are foreigners is not a citizen of the Azerbaijan Republic; the child born on the territory of Azerbaijan and whose parents are stateless persons is a citizen of the Azerbaijan Republic.
At the same time, the text of the article #18 of the law (forfeiting the citizenship of the Azerbaijan Republic) was changed. Taking into account the provisions of the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness” dated to 30th August, 1961, reasons for forfeiting the citizenship of the Azerbaijan Republic can be following if: citizen of Azerbaijan Republic voluntarily obtains citizenship of other country; citizen of Azerbaijan Republic voluntarily serves at state bodies and municipalities, or armed forces and/or another armed units of the foreign country; citizen of Azerbaijan Republic behaves damaging state security; while acquiring the citizenship of the Azerbaijan Republic, a person has deliberately falsified the data necessary to acquire the citizenship, or submitted a falsified document”.
Huseynli said that the draft law caused discussions in the committee: “I am sure that Azerbaijani citizens living abroad will inform the authorities about the issue of citizenship from now on. It is praiseworthy that our compatriots are engaged in business and activities of the Diaspora in those countries. Our aim is to increase the responsibility in informing the Azerbaijani authorities about obtaining the citizenship of those countries.”
The Constitution envisages that no one shall be deprived of citizenship. Therefore the question is not to be deprived of citizenship, but the loss of the Azerbaijani citizenship by his/her own choice. Annexes and amendments regulate the mechanism of losing nationality.
Huseynli said that the law has no retroactive effect: “It won’t be applied for the persons who have obtained the citizenship of foreign countries so far.”
The draft law has been adopted through voting.
Apa.az
