Azerbaijan Parliament debates new debt seizure and cyber fraud laws

The Azerbaijani Parliament is considering legislative amendments to improve debt recovery and combat cybercrime.

A proposed amendment to the Law on Enforcement would allow enforcement officers to use the ‘Electronic Enforcement’ information system to query, seize, and redirect a debtor's securities. For physical securities, officers can immediately seize them and notify the central depository and issuer. For non-physical or depository-held securities, seizure decisions must be made promptly upon receiving official data. The seizure limits the debtor's right to dispose of or receive payments from the securities to the amount required for debt satisfaction, though indivisible securities may be seized in their entirety.

Separately, MP Sabina Salmanova has proposed establishing cyber fraud as a distinct criminal offense within the Criminal Code. Addressing the Committee on Defense, Security, and Anti-Corruption, Salmanova noted that current laws under Article 178 only regulate fraud in general terms. She argued that new digital methods—including impersonating bank employees, misappropriating electronic payments, and using AI-generated deepfakes—require specific legal definitions to protect citizens' bank cards, electronic accounts, and personal data.