A large-scale amnesty has begun in Azerbaijan.

Today, Azerbaijan began implementing the amnesty law announced to mark the country's Constitution and Sovereignty Year. The amnesty, which will affect approximately 20,000 people, will last four months.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, on December 15, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev submitted an amnesty bill to parliament, which will affect approximately 20,000 people. The initiative is timed to coincide with the "Year of Constitution and Sovereignty" declared in Azerbaijan in 2025 and the restoration of the country's sovereignty over its entire territory, authorities stated. Local activists welcomed the amnesty initiative, but noted that it will not resolve the problem of political prisoners.

Today, the implementation of the decision "On declaring an amnesty on the occasion of the Year of Constitution and Sovereignty" began in the institutions of the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan based on the initiative of Ilham Aliyev, APA reports.

The amnesty was initiated by the president, and parliament subsequently adopted the corresponding law. The law's implementation will take four months, JAMnews reports today.

As a reminder, the authorities announced that the amnesty project provides for exemption from punishment or criminal liability for participants in the military operations in Karabakh, close relatives of those killed or missing during these operations, as well as women, people over 60, and those who were minors at the time of the crime. In addition, those who committed crimes of minor public danger will be amnestied.

12:13 11.06.2025

Key points about the record number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan

In 2024 The number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan has reached its highest level in the country's 23 years of membership in the Council of Europe. In February 2025, human rights activists reported 357 names added to the list, and in June, 375 names. The largest increase in prisoners occurred over the past year.

Ilham Aliyev initiated the previous large-scale amnesty in November 2021. The amnesty, which will cover more than 15,000 people, will not extend to political prisoners, human rights activists suggested at the time.

Moreover, in 2024, the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan exceeded 300 for the first time since the early 2000s. In October 2025, the Union for Freedom of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan published a new national list of political prisoners, including 392 names. At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities deny the presence of political prisoners in the country.