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The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Azerbaijan Elmira Suleymanova visits the vulnerable groups of population, including convicted juveniles, the elderly as a tradition and gets information on the condition of ensuring their rights and helps to overcome some of their shortcomings.

The Ombudsman organized an event at the Correctional Facility for Juveniles under the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice on the occasion of December 31 –Solidarity Day of World Azerbaijanis and New Year. The Commissioner, member of the National Preventive Group Vafa Verdiyeva, representative of the Resource Center of the Ombudsman for the Elderly Shovkat Khanmammadova, employees of the Penitentiary Service, juveniles sang the State Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan together.

The Ombudsman has conveyed her best wishes congratulating the juveniles on holidays. Emphasizing the significance of the solidarity of the world Azerbaijanis she has mentioned that unity and equality of the compatriots have strengthened, and our diaspora is going to become a more active power.

The Ombudsman stressed upon that under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev, great attention is being paid on the rights of the children and prisoners. She gave comprehensive information to the participants about the legal reforms implemented in the republic, improvement of the legislation and adjusting it to the international standards, the achievements in this sphere.

The Ombudsman stated that as a result of the humanistic policy of our state, signing 64 pardons and 11 amnesty acts, as well as the initiative of the First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva had been highly appreciated, welcomed with great joy and gratitude by the liberated persons and their family members, also by the whole population. It has been noted that during her term in office, totally 638 prisoners, including juveniles have been pardoned and liberated on the basis of the motions filed by the Commissioner.

It was also mentioned that the relevant Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed on 10 February 2017 implied the improvement, humanization of the penitentiary system, in general the penalty policy, as well as considering the application of wide range of alternative punishments without isolation from society and opened great opportunities for pardoning.

Liberalization of the legislative acts, improvement of the conditions, nutritional regime, treatment of the persons serving the sentence, medical assistance to them and the process of correction have been discussed.

The information was given about the Commissioner as the efficient mechanism for protection of rights, multidimensional activity, actions implemented as the National Preventive Mechanism, regular visits to the places in the country  which persons can’t leave on their own will, including penitentiary facilities, also about the recommendations and their implementation.

The Ombudsman advised the juvenile prisoners to be rehabilitated, not to repeat law violations, to return to their families and healthy lifestyles, to get education and learn a profession, to engage in useful labor, as well as to develop as worthy citizens of our Motherland, caring for their families and the society.

The Ombudsman has also distributed parcels, sweets and festive gifts to the children there, as well as the mothers with babies in the facility for women. The administration and the prisoners expressed their gratitude to the Commissioner for the care and attention.

Then, the Commissioner held an event in the boarding house for the disabled and war veterans in Bilgah under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population and congratulated the residents on the occasion of the holidays and expressed her best wishes, and the gifts, as well as the books for the library have been distributed.

It should be mentioned that series of events had also been held by the Ganja, Shaki, Jalilabad and Guba centers of the Ombudsman, as well as in the Commissioner’s Resource Center for Child Rights -Leadership School of the Azerbaijan Child and Youth Peace Network, also in the Resource Center for the Elderly.

By the way, the staff member of the Ombudsman Office attended the festive event organized by the Public Union Sport Club of People with Autism for the children and youth with autism syndrome. He conveyed the Commissioner’s greetings, congratulations on holidays and best wishes to the participants.