Azerbaijan toughens punishment for recruiting mercenaries and terrorism

The Azerbaijani Parliament has amended the legislation to increase penalties for becoming mercenaries and terrorism; the amendments are aimed to prevent the participation of citizens of Azerbaijan in international terrorist groupings and in the warfare in Syria, in particular, experts say.

Henceforth, any recruitment of mercenaries, financing them, as well as using them in military conflicts and operations, will be punished by imprisonment for the period from 8 to 12 years.

In the opinion of Tofig Tyurkel, an observer of the "Turan' Agency on religion and politics, the increased penalties for terrorism and mercenary activities had to do with the increasing number of Azerbaijani citizens who go to the war in Syria. However, he doubts that the tougher measures only will prevent sending Azerbaijanis to the war in Syria or to other conflict regions.

According to the observer, the authorities need to strengthen the religious education of the population and stop the pressure on the activities of traditional religious communities.

Believing Azerbaijanis are enticed to Syria under the pretext of jihad and the prospect of becoming shahids (martyrs), said Vasim Mamedaliev, a well-known Azerbaijani Orientalist, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences and a member of the Scientific-Religious Council at the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of the Caucasus.