Penalties for deliberate destruction or damage to historical and cultural monuments have been tightened.
Elchi.az reports that this is reflected in the amendment to the Criminal Code, which President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on its application.
According to the current law, deliberate destruction or damage to historical and cultural monuments protected by the state is punishable by a fine of between two thousand and four thousand manats or imprisonment for up to two years.
According to the new law, intentional damage to movable or immovable cultural properties protected by the state, if committed causing significant damage, shall be punishable by a fine of up to twice the amount of damage caused by the crime, or restriction of liberty for up to two years, or imprisonment for the same period.
Deliberate destruction of movable cultural properties protected by the state shall be punishable by a fine of two to three times the amount of damage caused by the crime, or restriction of liberty for up to three years, or imprisonment for the same period.
Deliberate destruction of immovable cultural properties protected by the state shall be punishable by a fine of three to five times the amount of damage caused by the crime, or restriction of liberty for a term of three to five years, or imprisonment for the same term.
The actions stipulated above:
– if committed repeatedly;
– if committed by an official using his official position;
– if committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, an organized group or a criminal association (organization);
– if committed on the grounds of national, racial or religious hostility, religious fanaticism, shall be punished by deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years, with or without deprivation of liberty for a term of four to eight years.
“Cultural properties protected by the state” means cultural properties included in the list of protected cultural properties in accordance with the Law “On Culture”, as well as cultural properties for which a decision has been made to determine the cultural property before it is included in the said list or until it is refused to be included in the said list.
“Significant amount” means an amount exceeding three thousand manats.
The law will enter into force on February 1, 2026.