Prosecutor General’s Office: participation in armed conflicts abroad is a serious crime

Recently, according to law enforcement investigations and media reports, several citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan have been reported to be participating in ongoing military operations between Russia and Ukraine, as well as in other armed conflicts.

According to APA, this was stated in a statement from the Prosecutor General’s Office. Specifically, it notes that the Republic of Azerbaijan, considering the protection of the lives, security, rights, and freedoms of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan as the highest goal and duty of the state, and based on the principle of the inevitability of legal liability, demonstrates a firm and uncompromising stance against any person engaging in illegal activity.

Therefore, participation in armed conflicts on the territory of foreign states is not simply a personal choice, but, in accordance with national criminal law and the requirements of international conventions, a serious, and in some cases, especially serious, crime.

According to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, mercenarism, i.e. participation in activities for the purpose of receiving material reward, while being a citizen of a state not participating in a military conflict or military operations, not permanently residing on its territory and not sent to perform official duties, as well as participation in the activities of armed formations or groups not provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, is considered a crime punishable by imprisonment for a certain period (from 8 to 20 years) or life imprisonment.

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