CE representative: Azerbaijani courts must give preference to alternative measures

Azerbaijani courts must give preference to an alternative preventive measures, Head of the Council of Europe representation in Azerbaijan Veronika Kotek said at an event dedicated to the outcomes of the joint project of CE,and the Justice Ministry "Support to Penal Reform".

"The punishment should be a last resort. Courts must give priority to preventive measures such as bail, house arrest, etc. The Supreme Court and the Judicial-Legal Council had previously submitted their recommendations to the courts on this issue," Kotek said.

The project funded by the Norwegian government is a continuation of the joint project of the Council of Europe and the European Commission on Modernization of the prison system in Azerbaijan, implemented in 2006.

The aim of the project is to bring the country's  prison system in line with the European Prison Rules and the relevant recommendations of the CE Committee of Ministers.

Kotek voiced her willingness to cooperate in this field with the Azerbaijani government. She noted that out extensive work were carried out in the Azerbaijani penitentiary system. Commissioning of new detention facilities, places of imprisonment, the renovation of some of them, increasing medical services to sentenced persons are positively appraised.

Justice Ministry's Penitentiary Service Head Huseyin Alikhanov said the Azerbaijani courts prefer non-custodial sentence, resulting in fewer and fewer prisoners, recently.

He said one of the major successes in recent years, is public participation in the implementation of reforms and implementation of public control.

"Despite our satisfaction with the reforms, much remains to be done," Alikhanov said.


/Trend/