BAKU -- Azerbaijan's parliament has approved a broad amnesty for around 9,000 inmates.
The amnesty proposal was put forward on May 7 by Azerbaijan's first lady Mehriban Aliyeva, who is also a parliamentary deputy.
Aliyeva said that the amnesty was inspired by the 90th birthday of the current President Ilham Aliyev's late father, Heydar Aliyev, which will be marked on May 10.
According to Aliyeva, about 2,000 prisoners will be freed and prisons terms will be shortened for about 7,000 inmates.
The chairman of the parliament's Committee for Legal Policies and Statehood, Ali Huseynli, said that the amnesty will cover one-third of all inmates serving terms in Azerbaijan's penitentiaries.
The amnesty proposal was put forward on May 7 by Azerbaijan's first lady Mehriban Aliyeva, who is also a parliamentary deputy.
Aliyeva said that the amnesty was inspired by the 90th birthday of the current President Ilham Aliyev's late father, Heydar Aliyev, which will be marked on May 10.
According to Aliyeva, about 2,000 prisoners will be freed and prisons terms will be shortened for about 7,000 inmates.
The chairman of the parliament's Committee for Legal Policies and Statehood, Ali Huseynli, said that the amnesty will cover one-third of all inmates serving terms in Azerbaijan's penitentiaries.