Azerbaijan Constitutional Court rules on sentence suspension prohibition

The Plenum of the Constitutional Court of Azerbaijan, chaired by Farhad Abdullayev, has issued a ruling regarding the prohibition of suspending sentences for individuals convicted of serious or especially serious crimes against the person.

The decision follows a request from the Ombudsman to examine the constitutionality of Article 79.1 of the Criminal Code. The court reviewed various expert opinions, including submissions from the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and academic experts from Baku State University.

The court ruled that the prohibition on suspending sentences for those sentenced to more than five years of imprisonment for such crimes is consistent with the Constitution. The ruling stated that this measure serves to maintain a balance between the protection of the best interests of children, public safety, and the constitutional value of protecting individual rights.