Special attention is paid to ensuring human rights, including the rights of prisoners under the leadership of the President Ilham Aliyev, legislation is improved, criminal-execution policy is humanized, reforms are carried out and wide public participation is applied.
Necessary preventive steps are being taken by the Ministry of Justice under the leadership of the President and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva against the global COVID-19 infection, the penitentiary and medical services continue the activities in an intensified mode of operation, the protection of the life and health of prisoners and accused persons is controlled strictly and their daily thermometry is carried out daily.
The activity of the Ministry's General Medical Department was organized in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Union of Administration of Medical Territorial Sections. Individual prisoners who tested positive for the virus were immediately isolated, placed in a specially established unit at a specialized treatment facility, and leave the quarantine after full recovery after intensive treatment. It should be noted that, there is no epidemiologically tense environment in all penitentiaries, and control measures are ongoing.
The situation in this area is also regularly studied by a monitoring group consisting of civil society representatives of the ministry and during the past period, 65 monitoring was carried out in penitentiaries to get acquainted with the conditions of detention of prisoners, food, product, medical and medicinal supplies, to check the compliance of food rations with the norms established by law, and special attention was paid to sanitary and hygienic conditions.
The delivery of gifts and envelopes to prisoners suspended due to the pandemic has been restored as part of the easing of the quarantine regime in the country. It was also decided to provide short-term visits to prisoners in strict compliance with sanitary and epidemiological requirements, taking into account the further easing of quarantine rules as a result of the gradual reduction of the spread of infection in the country. In this regard, the existing short-term meeting rooms in penitentiaries have been reconstructed in accordance with these requirements, and glass partitions and booths equipped with talking devices have been set up. Short-term meetings with convicts and detainees have already begun in accordance with the conditions created in most institutions. At the same time, prisoners' telephone conversations have been expanded to keep in touch with their families.
At the same time, the application of parole, which plays an important role in the reintegration of prisoners into society, has intensified in recent months. In order to ensure transparency and objectivity in this area, the Commission, represented by civil society representatives of the Ministry, held regular meetings via virtual video conference with prisoners, studied their personal files and submitted materials to the courts about prisoners who meet the requirements of the law.
With the amendments to the Criminal Procedural Code initiated by the President, the holding of a video conference in criminal cases has made effective opportunities for easy and quick application of this humanist institution by providing the safety of prisoners.
Thus, in connection with the entry into force of the new law on 15.07.2020, the Ministry immediately took the necessary measures and began to conduct criminal proceedings online in video conference format. To date, about 400 cases, including submissions on parole and transfer to a precinct-type penitentiary institution, based on the opinions of the Ministry's Commission, as well as the implementation of legislation adopted to humanize penal policy, have been viewed by courts via videoconferencing.
As a result of the continued application of these humanist institutions and the use of modern information technology in this regard, 1,727 people were released early or transferred to institutions with lighter regime this year, of which about 80%, or 1,333 people, coincides with the current pandemic condition. At the same time, 493 detainees, including 408 in house arrest were released during the pandemic as a result of other alternative measures.
At the same time, cases of about 1,000 convicts in the Penitentiary and Probation Services have been studied in connection with the decriminalization of certain acts by amendments to the criminal law, and by considering the submissions sent to the courts on convicts impacted by the new Law, 100 convicts have already been released, 211 have had their sentences reduced or replaced by a lighter sentence, and the actions of 63 people were classified as new articles.
The measures taken to protect the health and safety of prisoners and detainees in the context of the global pandemic COVID-19 are appreciated by their families and relatives.
The Ministry of Justice continues to take measures to protect the rights of prisoners, including in the current pandemic.
