Creating a terrorist organization, or leading such an organization or its structural division, shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of 10 to 14 years.
Medianews.az reports, referring to APA, that this is reflected in the newly proposed Article 214-4 of the Criminal Code, which was discussed at today’s session of the Milli Majlis.
Membership in a terrorist organization or participation in its activities is punished by imprisonment for a term of 7 to 12 years. The Note section of the article provides that a person who is a member of a terrorist organization or participates in its activities shall be exempt from criminal liability if they timely inform the authorities or otherwise assist in preventing the commission of criminal acts, assist in identifying individuals who established, led, participated in the activities of, or financed the terrorist organization, and no other crime component is present in their act.
Furthermore, technical amendments are envisaged in the Criminal Code articles on financing terrorism (214-1) and open calls for terrorism (214-2), as well as in Article 1 of the Law “On Combating Terrorism.”
According to the draft law, Article 282 of the Criminal Code is given in a new edition. Specifically, new objects such as weakening scientific and technical potential, as well as disruption of the normal functioning of critical information infrastructure, energy, transport, and telecommunications networks, are added to Article 282.1. Also, cases of using operational artificial intelligence technologies and special software in methods of sabotage are included. According to the draft, a number of new aggravating circumstances are envisaged in Article 282.2. These aggravating circumstances include sabotage committed by a criminal group, during a state of emergency or martial law, social emergency regime, or mass riots, committed by a person abusing their official position, or causing death or other severe consequences by negligence. According to the Note to Article 282, a person who participated in the preparation of sabotage shall be exempt from criminal liability if they timely inform the authorities or otherwise assist in preventing such acts, and no other crime component is present in their act.
After discussions, the draft law was put to a vote and adopted in the first reading.