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Azerbaijani Parliament has today discussed imposing new severe penalties for recruitment, training of mercenaries and their use in armed conflicts, military operations, as well as setting up armed groups outside the territory of Azerbaijan and their participation in armed conflicts, APA reports.
The chairman of the Parliament’s committee on legal policy and state-building Ali Huseynli said that amendments are offered to article #114 of the Criminal Code and annex # 283-1.
According to the amendment to article #114 of the Criminal Code people will be sentenced from 8 years up to 12 years in prison (currently it is from 4 years up to 8 years) for recruitment, financing and training of mercenaries and their use in armed conflicts or military operations. Officials committing same acts using their positions or about minors will be sentenced from 9 years up to 15 years in prison (currently it is from 8 years up to 15 years).
According to other amendment to the article mercenaries participating in armed conflicts or military operations will be sentenced from 5 years up to 11 years in prison (currently it is from 3 years up to 8 years).
According to the new Article #283-1 on the participation in armed conflicts outside the territory of Azerbaijan, the citizens of Azerbaijani Republic and stateless people permanently residing in Azerbaijan Republic will be sentenced from 9 years up to 12 years in prison for spreading religious denominations, participating in armed conflicts abroad under the guise of performing religious rites or religious hatred, combat training for this purpose, setting up the stable groups in this regard and leading such groups. If the same acts are committed about minors, these people will be sentenced from 12 years up to 15 years in prison. Penalty for participation in abovementioned groups, trainings or armed conflicts will be from 7 years up to 11 years. The note in the new article says: “If the person who committed abovementioned acts, warns the authorities or helps prevention of these acts through other ways and his/her acts are not criminal, he/she will be relieved from criminal responsibility”
The project has been adopted through voting.
Apa.az
