Azerbaijan proposes new penalty for insult and slander in press, social network

Baku. 8 October. REPORT.AZ/ Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan proposes to add new penalty to the sanctions of the articles 147 (slander), 148 (insult) and 148-1 (insult and slander by using fake user names, profiles or accounts in Internet information resource).

According to Report, it is proposed that "Restriction of Liberty" penalty be added to the sanctions of both articles.

According to the proposal, the penalty envisaging imprisonment up to one year is added to the sanctions of all three articles.

According to the current version, Article 147 envisages (Spreading of information, which intends purposely to disgrace or diminish the honor and dignity of any person in mass performances, public plays, press or mass demonstration Internet media), sanctions from 1000 to 1500 AZN or public works for a period from 240 hours to 480 hours, or correctional labor up to one year, or imprisonment up to 6 months.

In Article 148, the penalties are the same as abovementioned sanctions (To disgrace or diminish purposely the honor and dignity of any person in mass performances, public plays, press or mass demonstration Internet media).

Sanctions of Article 148-1 (to insult and slander by using fake user names, profiles or accounts in Internet information resource) envisage penalty from 1000 to 2000 AZN or public works for a period from 360 up to 480 hours. Up to 2 years of imprisonment correctional labor up to one year or of imprisonment up to one year.

Notably, "restriction of freedom" penalty was added to the Criminal Code as a new type of punishment last year.