MP Elmira Akhundova expressed her concern over the increasing number of domestic violence cases in the country, and called for the restoration of capital punishment during Parliament’s plenary meeting on 29 November.
“There is a death penalty for people committing grave crimes, decapitating their spouses, raping underage children in other countries. Why do not we have such a penalty?” asked the MP.
The government of Azerbaijan ratified Protocol 2 of the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1999. This Protocol prohibits the use of the death penalty in times of peace.
Notably, Azerbaijan neither signed nor ratified Protocol 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights on the abolition of the capital punishment under all circumstances (including in times of war). Out of 47 Council of Europe member states, only two countries – Azerbaijan and Russia — have not signed Protocol No.13. Armenia signed the treaty in 2006 , but have yet to ratify it.