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AZERBAIJAN GRANTS IMMUNITY TO FORMER PRESIDENTS
Agence France Presse
November 15, 2011 Tuesday 2:09 PM GMT
The Azerbaijan parliament passed a law on Tuesday which grants the
ex-Soviet country's former presidents immunity from prosecution for
crimes committed before and during their time in office.
The immunity, which was sponsored by President Ilham Aliyev and
extends to all ex-leaders of the oil-rich Caucasus country and their
spouses, was hailed by both both pro-government and opposition members
of parliament.
"The law will defuse confrontation between the political forces which
have divergent views of the social and political situation in the
country," ruling Yeni Azerbaijan party lawmaker Guler Ahmedova said
after the vote.
Opposition Party for Democratic Reforms lawmaker Asim Mollazadeh
said the law "will lay down the foundations of political tolerance
in Azerbaijan".
Analysts said the measure would contribute to social and political
reconciliation in the country, which sank into political turmoil in
the 1990s during its war with Armenia over the disputed region of
Nagorny Karabakh.
"The adoption of the law is an important step towards finding common
ground where our recent history is concerned," said Mubariz Ahmedoglu,
the director of the Centre for Political Innovation and Technologies.
He said Aliyev was "fulfilling his promise to be a president of all
citizens, regardless of their political views".
Azerbaijan's first president in the turbulent period following
independence from the Soviet Union, Ayaz Mutallibov, was forced to
resign in 1992 after a series of disastrous military defeats during
the Karabakh war.
His attempt to return to power soon after his resignation was thwarted
by an armed uprising. He fled to Russia and still faces criminal
charges dating from his time in office.
A year after Mutallibov's resignation, another Azerbaijani president,
Abulfez Elchibey, was ousted amid further losses in the Karabakh
conflict and was replaced by Heydar Aliyev, the father of the current
leader.
Agence France Presse
November 15, 2011 Tuesday 2:09 PM GMT
The Azerbaijan parliament passed a law on Tuesday which grants the
ex-Soviet country's former presidents immunity from prosecution for
crimes committed before and during their time in office.
The immunity, which was sponsored by President Ilham Aliyev and
extends to all ex-leaders of the oil-rich Caucasus country and their
spouses, was hailed by both both pro-government and opposition members
of parliament.
"The law will defuse confrontation between the political forces which
have divergent views of the social and political situation in the
country," ruling Yeni Azerbaijan party lawmaker Guler Ahmedova said
after the vote.
Opposition Party for Democratic Reforms lawmaker Asim Mollazadeh
said the law "will lay down the foundations of political tolerance
in Azerbaijan".
Analysts said the measure would contribute to social and political
reconciliation in the country, which sank into political turmoil in
the 1990s during its war with Armenia over the disputed region of
Nagorny Karabakh.
"The adoption of the law is an important step towards finding common
ground where our recent history is concerned," said Mubariz Ahmedoglu,
the director of the Centre for Political Innovation and Technologies.
He said Aliyev was "fulfilling his promise to be a president of all
citizens, regardless of their political views".
Azerbaijan's first president in the turbulent period following
independence from the Soviet Union, Ayaz Mutallibov, was forced to
resign in 1992 after a series of disastrous military defeats during
the Karabakh war.
His attempt to return to power soon after his resignation was thwarted
by an armed uprising. He fled to Russia and still faces criminal
charges dating from his time in office.
A year after Mutallibov's resignation, another Azerbaijani president,
Abulfez Elchibey, was ousted amid further losses in the Karabakh
conflict and was replaced by Heydar Aliyev, the father of the current
leader.