Azerbaijan’s parliament approved in the first reading on Nov. 3 amendments that would introduce fines of up to 500 manats as an alternative to administrative detention for certain cases of unauthorized military absence.
The proposal applies to officers, warrant officers, midshipmen and service members serving beyond the compulsory term of active military service, according to Vesti Baku.
The sanctions would cover unauthorized absence from a military unit or place of service for more than one day but no longer than 10 days.
Proposed Penalties
For a first offense, the amendments provide for a fine of 200 to 300 manats or administrative detention for up to 15 days. The current Administrative Offenses Code provides for detention of up to 20 days for the same violation.
If the offense is repeated within one year after an administrative penalty takes effect, the proposed fine would range from 300 to 500 manats. A court could instead order detention for 10 days to one month. Under the existing rule, the minimum detention period for a repeat offense is 15 days.
The proposal would therefore expand the available sanctions while allowing a court to replace detention with a monetary fine after considering the circumstances of the case and the individual service member.
The changes have not yet entered into force. Parliament adopted them only in the first reading on Nov. 3 after earlier committee consideration. APA also reported that the bill passed its first-reading vote.