Azerbaijan introduces responsibility for threats against persons reporting corruption offences

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev has signed a resolution to establish the procedure for working with reports about corruption and introduces liability for threats against the persons providing information about corruption offences.

"Threats against a person who provided information on cases of corruption offenses or his relatives, pressure on them, infliction to them of moral and material damage, insults of them, humiliation of their honour and dignity are punishable in accordance with the law," the RIA "Novosti" quotes the resolution as stating.

The law is supplemented by two articles. The first article states that anyone can provide information on cases of corruption offences. Information about results of investigation should be reported to the complainant within 20 days.

The second article deals with protection of persons providing information on cases of corruption offences. The article stipulates that in some cases, security measures are to be applied to protect the persons providing information on cases of corruption offences, the "Trend" reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that earlier, local experts have stated that against the background of the oil price collapse, the economic situation in the country demand reforms, including the fight against corruption.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.