People, who made a mistake once, have the right to be pardoned, we should give them a chance to regain their place in the society, the country's first lady, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, said in the parliament of Azerbaijan on the amnesty issue on the occasion of the Republic Day.
Based on the most valuable traditions of humanism in Azerbaijan, the country's first lady has proposed to announce an amnesty on the occasion of the Republic Day on May 28.
According to the first lady of Azerbaijan, nearly 30,000 convicts have been exempted from various types of penalty since 2007 based on amnesty acts adopted on the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.
Mehriban Aliyeva noted that in its every step, each activity, the Foundation is guided by the ideas of humanism and philanthropy, it always tries to help the people in need of care and help. "It is no coincidence that the people who appeal us today regard the Heydar Aliyev Foundation as the last destination of hope, and we have always tried to justify that hope," she added.
She said that today, the greatest hope of thousands of compatriots deprived of freedom is to be released, to join their families and to establish a normal life.
"To forgive them, to give them a new chance means to give them a different path in life, where there is no place for crime, a new way in life built on the principles of respect for the law. Everyone who has committed a crime should surely realize his mistakes and avoid making them in the future," the country's first lady said.
The president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation said that, according to the draft amnesty act, all persons who were convicted of the crimes not posing great public danger, will be exempt from serving their sentences. Women, non-adults, disabled persons, the elderly and old-aged persons who have non-adults or disabled children in their custody and people from some other categories, convicted of some types of crimes, will be released, Mehriban Aliyeva added.
"I would like to especially bring to your attention that the amnesty act will apply to those who participated in the fights for Azerbaijan's sovereignty and protecting its territorial integrity, as well as the close relatives of those who were killed or went missing in those fights. Furthermore, the act of pardon will apply to those sentenced to correctional labor, community service and fine penalties. In general, it is expected that 10,000 prisoners will be pardoned and around 3500 of them will be released from detention facilities," she emphasized.
Azerbaijan's first lady noted that such feelings as mercy, philanthropy, and care should be uppermost in every society.
"If state structures and civil society build their life, their activities namely on the basis of these principles, then it can be called a developed and successful society. Mercy is not only about lending a helping hand to those who are in difficult situation, it sometimes requires making difficult and responsible decisions. People, who made a mistake once, have the right to be pardoned. Today, we should give them a chance to regain their place in the society and live a decent life. I am confident that the amnesty act will once again show the power of Azerbaijan. I hope that those who are to be pardoned will use their chance to become decent citizens of our society," Trend cited Mehriban Aliyeva as saying.
