In Azerbaijan, MP states preparation of the law "On Occupied Territories", lawmakers refute

Later this year Azerbaijani Parliament can pass the law "On Occupied Territories", Zakhid Orudj, an MP asserts. The idea of the bill, which regulates, in particular, cooperation of Azerbaijani and Armenian NGOs, was ambiguously perceived by political and public organizations both in Azerbaijan and in Armenia. However, the press service of the Azerbaijani Parliament points out that so far the bill has not been discussed by any of the committees; and consideration thereof is not planned.

The draft law "On Occupied Territories" has been developed by Gudrat Gasanguliev, an MP of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament) and the Chairman of the Party "United Azerbaijani Popular Front". When drafting the bill, the experience of Georgia was used, said Gudrat Gasanguliev.

"The bill contains a number of restrictions and sanctions, so that in future the companies, which have opened their businesses in Nagorno-Karabakh, made a particular choice – either Azerbaijan or occupied Nagorno-Karabakh," Mr Gasanguliev told the APA Agency.

The provisions of the law assume, in particular, criminal liability for the citizens (with the exception of the officials of central executive agencies involved in peace talks on the Karabakh conflict, employees of diplomatic missions, and persons who have received the appropriate powers by decision of the Milli Majlis), cooperating with state and non-state structures of Armenia and their representatives.

On May 20, the press-service of the Milli Majlis released a statement that refutes the work on the law "On Occupied Territories".

Zakhid Orudj, an MP from the pro-governmental Party "Motherland", said, explaining the expediency of the law "On Occupied Territories," that the law is needed to justify the decisions on the illegality of visits to Nagorno-Karabakh without Azerbaijani visa.

Mr Orudj does not believe that citizens and NGOs of Azerbaijan should not cooperate with their Armenian counterparts. "But the 'people's diplomacy' with the occupants must be conducted in line with the governmental policy and fully controlled by the state," he added.

On the other hand, he agrees that, by adopting this law, Azerbaijan will make another step towards transferring Azerbaijani legislation into the military channel of preparing the country for the war against Armenia.

Ilgar Velizade, the head of the Azerbaijani club of political scientists, is cautious about the adoption of the law, because, in his opinion, it can disrupt the peaceful cooperation of Azerbaijani and Armenian NGOs.

The bill, designed by Gudrat Gasanguliev, infringes the rights of Azerbaijani NGOs, said Avaz Gasanov the director of the "Society for Humanitarian Studies".

However, the chairman of the "Karabakh Liberation Organization" (KLO) finds the adoption of the law necessary in the event of a war situation around Karabakh.

Sergey Minasyan, an Armenian political scientist and Deputy Director of the "Institute of the Caucasus", believes that adoption of the law "On Occupied Territories" will further increase the self-isolation of Azerbaijan in the conflict.

Alexander Manasyan, Doctor of Philosophy and a political scientist, believes that the discussion of the bill is a provocation.