Amnesty or a Trick? The Discussion Around Azerbaijan’s New Law

Azerbaijan's government recently started its 2025 Amnesty Act, which they timed with the Year of Constitution and Sovereignty. Government sources are praising this as the biggest act of its kind in the country’s history. But, civil society members and human rights advocates living outside the country jointly said the act is a planned trick, and not a real move toward change.

The main issue is that the act seems good to the public, but it has technical limits. Officials say around 20,000 people could gain from it. Critics believe the rules are made to only include those who are almost done with their sentences. To many prisoners, the amnesty just means they get out six months or a year sooner. They could have gotten out this early through things like parole or getting their sentence lowered. Because of this, some say the act just repeats current laws, instead of being a big act of kindness.

The statement also talks about how many political prisoners there are because of the carceral state. There are almost 400 people seen as political prisoners now. This is the most since Azerbaijan joined the Council of Europe in 2001. Human rights advocates claim the amnesty doesn’t fix the real problem. Some religious activists who were charged with drug crimes before have been let go. But, important political people, reporters, and civil society leaders are still in jail.

The government says the act is a big humanitarian step. People like MP Zahid Oruc say that this amnesty is different from presidential pardons. It can be used across the criminal code and could even aid those being investigated, if their charges fit the right groups. The Ministry of Justice data shows that around 5,000 people will be fully freed from prison, and 3,000 will get shorter sentences.

Even with these numbers, many people watching closely are not convinced. Political experts think the government won't let go of people who might challenge them politically. They claim the government uses these acts to control how they look to the world and deal with overcrowded prisons, without really changing things politically. As the amnesty is used, there are two sides: one thinks it is a great act of rule and kindness, and the other feels it is just a move to keep things the same while acting like they are improving.