Co-rapporteur of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Stephan Shennak, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, met with Vice-minister of Justice Azar Jafarov.
The sides expressed satisfaction with the fruitful cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe and discussed legislative and institutional measures on implementation of the Order on humanization of the punishment policy signed on February 10, 2017 by the head of state.
According to the fundamental amendments made to the criminal legislations, the co-rapporteurs have been informed about full release of about 5,000 prisoners from punishment or facilitating of the punishment by the decriminalization of a number of offenses, enlargement of alternative punishment for deprivation of liberty, start of electron control means application by establishing probation service, and that about 1500 prisoners were applied electron bangles.
According to the Decree of the head of state “On deepening of the reforms in the judicial-legal system” on April 3, 2019, there was emphasized that, the offers on re-humanization of the criminal legislation were prepared by continuing the measures in this field.
Stephan Shennak underlined that, expansion of humanization measures is estimable and stressed the importance of broader awareness of the Council of Europe about the works done in this field. He also met with great interest the new reforms in the judicial-legal system, development of “Electron court” information system over the country, propaganda of mediation, which is an important mean in extrajudicial solution of disputes, establishment of specialized courts on disputes with the entrepreneurship, improvement of social protection of the judges, strengthening of measures on prevention of outer intervention in the courts’ activity and measures on establishment of alternative mechanisms of examination and execution of court decisions.
During the conversation, other issues of concern were clarified and useful ideas were exchanged.
