General Part
SECTION FOUR
COERCIVE PROCEDURAL MEASURES
Chapter XVI
DETENTION
Article 147. The use of detention during criminal proceedings
147.1. Detention during criminal proceedings may be applied only to the following :
147.1.1. a person suspected of committing an offence ;
147.1.2. a person who is to be charged or an accused who has violated the conditions governing the restrictive measure applied to him ;
147.1.3. a sentenced person, in order to settle the question of forcibly sending him to the place where the sentence or other final court decision is to be executed, replacing the penalty given to him with another or repealing his suspended sentence or conditional release.
147.2. Detention shall be applied in the following circumstances :
147.2.1. if there is a suspicion that the person concerned committed an offence ;
147.2.2. if there is an appropriate decision by the prosecuting authority about a person covered by Article 147.1.2 ;
147.2.3. if there is a court decision on the detention of a sentenced person pending settlement of the question of forcibly sending him to the place where the sentence or other final court decision is to be executed, replacing the penalty given to him with another or repealing his suspended sentence or conditional release.
147.3. The illegal detention of a person shall entail liability under the legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic.
Article 148. Detention of persons suspected of committing an offence
148.1. A person suspected of committing an offence shall be detained if there is a direct suspicion that he committed the offence or other information giving grounds for suspicion that he committed the act provided for in criminal law.
148.2. If there is a direct suspicion that a person committed an offence, the preliminary investigator, another official of the preliminary investigating authority, the investigator or the prosecutor may detain him in the following cases :
148.2.1. if the person is caught in the act of committing an offence provided for in criminal law or immediately thereafter on the scene of the offence ;
148.2.2. if the victim or other witnesses to the act themselves assert that the act provided for in criminal law was committed by this person ;
148.2.3. if clear marks indicative of the commission of the criminal act are discovered on the person's body, on his clothes or on other items he uses, in his home or in his means of transport.
148.3. If there is other information giving grounds to suspect a person of committing an act provided for in criminal law, he may be detained by the preliminary investigator, another official of the investigating authority, the investigator or the prosecutor in the following cases :
148.3.1. if he tries to escape from the crime scene into hiding, or to hide from the prosecuting authority ;
148.3.2. if he has no permanent home or lives in another area ;
148.3.3. if his identity cannot be established.
148.4. In the circumstances provided for in Article 148.1 and 148.2 of this Code, the person may be detained before the start of the criminal case. If no decision to start the criminal case is taken within 24 hours of the person being detained, the person shall be released immediately. Even if this decision is taken, the detention of the person may not exceed 48 hours. The detained person shall be charged within 48 hours of being taken into custody and shall be brought before a court ; the court shall examine the case without delay and decide between arrest as a restrictive measure and release.
Article 149. Apprehension of a person who has committed an offence with the aid of a person who witnessed the act
149.1. If the person committing an offence tries to escape during or immediately after the offence, a witness to the act may assist the prosecuting authority in apprehending the person, as follows :
149.1.1. he may tie up the person’s hands and feet if he resists ;
149.1.2. if the person who committed the offence is thought to have a gun or other dangerous weapon or to be carrying anything else which may be of significance to the criminal case, he may search him and seize these items for presentation to the prosecuting authority.
149.2. If he is not an official of the prosecuting authority, the person apprehending the offender shall immediately call the police, and, if this is impossible, shall bring the detained person to the police by force without delay.
Article 150. Detention of a person to charge him
150.1. If the evidence collected on a criminal case gives grounds to suppose that a person has committed an act provided for in criminal law, and if this person lives in another area or if his abode is not known, the investigator or prosecutor may decide to detain him. If a person hides from the prosecuting authority or intentionally fails to comply with a summons, and it is decided to detain him in order to charge him, the investigator or prosecutor shall at the same time announce a search for him.
150.2. Any official of the preliminary investigating authority, investigator or prosecutor who traces the suspect shall execute the decision to detain him in order to charge him, and immediately afterwards shall inform the investigator or prosecutor who took that decision.
150.3. The detention of the suspect shall not exceed 48 hours before he is charged. Pending the decision on arrest as a restrictive measure, the detained person shall be brought before a court within 48 hours of being taken into custody, and the court shall examine the case without delay and decide between arrest as a restrictive measure and release.
General Part
SECTION FOUR
COERCIVE PROCEDURAL MEASURES
Chapter XVII
RESTRICTIVE MEASURES
Article 157. Arrest
157.1. In accordance with the principle of the presumption of innocence, if the connection of the person to the offence committed is not proven, he may not be arrested or unnecessarily detained on remand.
157.2. Arrest as a restrictive measure may be chosen in the light of the requirements of Articles 155.1 - 155.3 of this Code.
157.3. A person arrested on the grounds of a court decision may not be held in a temporary detention facility for longer than 24 hours, and before the expiry of this period, he shall be transferred to the investigating authority’s remand facility (this period shall not include the time spent transporting the arrested person to the remand facility).
157.4. The investigator, the prosecutor in charge of the procedural aspects of the investigation or the court may instruct the authority in charge of the remand facility to hold persons charged with the same offence or related offences apart and to prevent conversations between the accused and other arrested persons, as well as on other matters, provided that these do not contravene the rules on detention on remand.
157.5. When examining the question of arrest as a restrictive measure, the court, if it decides that there is no need to isolate the accused from society by detaining him on remand, shall have the right to substitute house arrest for arrest. The court may simultaneously make its decision about arrest and resolve the matter of releasing the accused from arrest by granting bail, and if this release is considered possible, it shall determine the amount of bail. The court may review its decision about the inadmissibility of bail and the amount of bail at the request of the defence.
157.6. The parties to criminal proceedings may complain to the appeal court about a court decision to apply, or not to apply, arrest as a restrictive measure. The decision of the appeal court on this matter shall be final.
157.7. A court which has decided on arrest as a restrictive measure shall have the right to change or cancel this decision before the end of the remand period on the basis of a submission by the prosecutor in charge of the procedural aspects of the procedural aspects of the investigation.
157.8. The investigator or the prosecutor in charge of the procedural aspects of the investigation may discontinue the application of arrest as a restrictive measure decided by a court only in the following cases :
157.8.1. if, according to medical opinion, the seriousness of the accused person’s illness makes it impossible to detain him on remand ;
157.8.2. if a decision is made to the effect that the act committed by the accused is not an offence posing a major public threat.
Article 158. The remand period
158.1. At the pre-trial stage of the criminal case, when it chooses arrest as a restrictive measure, the court shall specify a remand period of up to 2 (two) months in respect of offences which do not pose a major public threat or minor offences and of up to 3 (three) months in respect of serious and very serious offences.
158.2. The remand period shall begin at the time of actual arrest if the accused is detained or, if he is not held, at the time of the implementation of the court decision on arrest as a restrictive measure. The following shall be included in the period for which the suspect or accused is detained on remand :
158.2.1. the period of detention and remand ;
158.2.2. the period of house arrest ;
158.2.3. the period during which he was detained in a medical establishment for an in-patient medical report under coercive procedural measures or on account of temporary illness.
158.3. At the pre-trial stage of the criminal case, the remand period, other than in cases of prolongation of the period as prescribed by Article 159 of this Code, may not exceed the above-mentioned periods. The remand period in respect of the suspect or accused shall be calculated by adding together all periods of detention on remand, house arrest and time spent at a medical establishment. The remand period at the pre-trial stage of the criminal case shall be suspended on the day when the case is sent to court or when detention on remand or house arrest as a restrictive measure is discontinued.
158.4. When the period of detention on remand as a restrictive measure is calculated, the period during which the accused and his defence counsel acquaint themselves with the case file shall not be taken into consideration.
158.5. The period of detention on remand of the accused in criminal cases within the jurisdiction of first instance and appeal courts may not exceed :
158.5.1. 3 (three) months where offences do not constitute a major public threat ;
158.5.2. 5 (five) months for minor offences ;
158.5.3. 7 (seven) months for serious offences ;
158.5.4. 9 (nine) months for very serious offences.
158.6. During the criminal proceedings (pre-trial and in first instance and appeal courts), the remand period shall be included in the term of punishment imposed on the accused by the court.
Article 159. Prolongation of the period of detention on remand during the pre-trial proceedings
159.1. At the pre-trial stage of criminal proceedings, the period of detention on remand of the accused may be prolonged by a court, depending on the complexity of the case : for those offences which do not pose a major public threat, for no longer than 1 (one) month ; for minor offences, for no longer than 2 (two) months ; for very offences, for no longer than 3 (three) months, and for very serious offences, for no longer than 4 (four) months.
159.2. At the pre-trial stage, in an exceptionally complicated case, the remand period may again be prolonged by the court : for minor offences, for no longer than 2 (two) months ; for serious offences, for no longer than 3 (three months), and for very serious offences, for no longer than 5 (five) months.
159.3. An investigator who considers it necessary to prolong the period of detention on remand of the accused shall submit the appropriate reasoned request to the prosecutor in charge of the procedural aspects of the investigation at least 7 (seven) days before the expiry of the remand period. If the prosecutor in charge of the procedural aspects of the investigation agrees with the need to prolong the remand period, he shall address the appropriate submissions at to the court least 5 (five) days before the expiry of the remand period decided by court. If the court agrees with the need to prolong the term of detention on remand of the accused, it shall decide to do so before the end of the period imposed by the decision adopting the restrictive measure.
159.4. When deciding whether to prolong the remand period, the court shall have the right to substitute house arrest for detention on remand or to release the accused by granting bail and determining the amount of bail.
159.5. When deciding to prolong the period of detention on remand of the accused, the court shall determine the further periods as prescribed by Articles 159.1 and 159.2 of this Code.
159.6. A court decision to prolong the remand period, or not to do so, shall be subject to an appeal to the appeal court. The appeal court’s decision on this matter shall be final.
159.7. During the pre-trial proceedings, the period of detention on remand of the accused shall on no account exceed :
159.7.1. 3 (three) months for offences which do not pose a major public threat ;
159.7.2. 6 (six) months for minor offences ;
159.7.3. 9 (nine) months for serious offences ;
159.7.4. 12 (twelve) months for very serious offences.
SPECIAL PART
SECTION ELEVEN
SPECIAL PROCEEDINGS
Chapter LVII
LEGAL ASSISTANCE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS
Article 495. Arrest of a person with a view to extradition
495.1. When a request for extradition and a copy of the arrest warrant are received from the competent authority of a foreign state, the prosecuting authority of the Azerbaijan Republic to which the request is addressed may if necessary, and in accordance with the provisions of this Code, take measures to have the person detained and arrested before the decision on extradition is taken.
495.2. In accordance with Article 495.1 of this Code, the arrested person shall have the right to apply to a court to confirm, amend or annul the restrictive measure applied to him.
495.3. Where necessary, the prosecuting authority of the Azerbaijan Republic to which the request is addressed shall also be empowered, in compliance with the provisions of this Code and at the request of the competent authority of the foreign state, to detain for the purposes of legal assistance a person in respect of whom no official request for extradition has been received. In this case the appropriate application :
495.3.1. shall have been received in advance by mail, telegram, telex or fax ;
495.3.2. shall refer to the arrest warrant or the final court judgment ;
495.3.3. shall confirm that the official request for extradition will be made within the next 48 hours.
495.4. The prosecuting authority of the Azerbaijan Republic shall immediately inform the requesting competent authority of the foreign state that the person has been detained or arrested on the basis of the official request for extradition, or that he has been detained for the purposes of legal assistance at the request of the foreign state, pending receipt of the official request for extradition.
495.5. A person arrested in accordance with Articles 495.1 and 495.3. of this Code shall have the right to complain to a court about the acts of the prosecuting authority.
(a) The Court shall have the authority to make requests to States Parties for cooperation. The requests shall be transmitted through the diplomatic channel or any other appropriate channel as may be designated by each State Party upon ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. Subsequent changes to the designation shall be made by each State Party in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Evidence.
(b) When appropriate, without prejudice to the provisions of subparagraph (a), requests may also be transmitted through the International Criminal Police Organization or any appropriate regional organization.
2. Requests for cooperation and any documents supporting the request shall either be in or be accompanied by a translation into an official language of the requested State or one of the working languages of the Court, in accordance with the choice made by that State upon ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. Subsequent changes to this choice shall be made in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Evidence.
3. The requested State shall keep confidential a request for cooperation and any documents supporting the request, except to the extent that the disclosure is necessary for execution of the request.
4. In relation to any request for assistance presented under this Part, the Court may take such measures, including measures related to the protection of information, as may be necessary to ensure the safety or physical or psychological well-being of any victims, potential witnesses and their families. The Court may request that any information that is made available under this Part shall be provided and handled in a manner that protects the safety and physical or psychological well-being of any victims, potential witnesses and their families.
(a) The Court may invite any State not party to this Statute to provide assistance under this Part on the basis of an ad hoc arrangement, an agreement with such State or any other appropriate basis.
(b) Where a State not party to this Statute, which has entered into an ad hoc arrangement or an agreement with the Court, fails to cooperate with requests pursuant to any such arrangement or agreement, the Court may so inform the Assembly of States Parties or, where the Security Council referred the matter to the Court, the Security Council.
6. The Court may ask any intergovernmental organization to provide information or documents. The Court may also ask for other forms of cooperation and assistance which may be agreed upon with such an organization and which are in accordance with its competence or mandate.
7. Where a State Party fails to comply with a request to cooperate by the Court contrary to the provisions of this Statute, thereby preventing the Court from exercising its functions and powers under this Statute, the Court may make a finding to that effect and refer the matter to the Assembly of States Parties or, where the Security Council referred the matter to the Court, to the Security Council.
States Parties shall ensure that there are procedures available under their national law for all of the forms of cooperation which are specified under this Part.
1. The Court may transmit a request for the arrest and surrender of a person, together with the material supporting the request outlined in article 91, to any State on the territory of which that person may be found and shall request the cooperation of that State in the arrest and surrender of such a person. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and the procedure under their national law, comply with requests for arrest and surrender.
2. Where the person sought for surrender brings a challenge before a national court on the basis of the principle of ne bis in idem as provided in article 20, the requested State shall immediately consult with the Court to determine if there has been a relevant ruling on admissibility. If the case is admissible, the requested State shall proceed with the execution of the request. If an admissibility ruling is pending, the requested State may postpone the execution of the request for surrender of the person until the Court makes a determination on admissibility.
(a) A State Party shall authorize, in accordance with its national procedural law, transportation through its territory of a person being surrendered to the Court by another State, except where transit through that State would impede or delay the surrender.
(b) A request by the Court for transit shall be transmitted in accordance with article 87. The request for transit shall contain:
(i) A description of the person being transported;
(ii) A brief statement of the facts of the case and their legal characterization; and
(iii) The warrant for arrest and surrender;
(c) A person being transported shall be detained in custody during the period of transit;
(d) No authorization is required if the person is transported by air and no landing is scheduled on the territory of the transit State;
(e) If an unscheduled landing occurs on the territory of the transit State, that State may require a request for transit from the Court as provided for in subparagraph (b). The transit State shall detain the person being transported until the request for transit is received and the transit is effected, provided that detention for purposes of this subparagraph may not be extended beyond 96 hours from the unscheduled landing unless the request is received within that time.
4. If the person sought is being proceeded against or is serving a sentence in the requested State for a crime different from that for which surrender to the Court is sought, the requested State, after making its decision to grant the request, shall consult with the Court.
1. A State Party which receives a request from the Court for the surrender of a person under article 89 shall, if it also receives a request from any other State for the extradition of the same person for the same conduct which forms the basis of the crime for which the Court seeks the person's surrender, notify the Court and the requesting State of that fact.
2. Where the requesting State is a State Party, the requested State shall give priority to the request from the Court if:
(a) The Court has, pursuant to article 18 or 19, made a determination that the case in respect of which surrender is sought is admissible and that determination takes into account the investigation or prosecution conducted by the requesting State in respect of its request for extradition; or
(b) The Court makes the determination described in subparagraph (a) pursuant to the requested State's notification under paragraph 1.
3. Where a determination under paragraph 2 (a) has not been made, the requested State may, at its discretion, pending the determination of the Court under paragraph 2 (b), proceed to deal with the request for extradition from the requesting State but shall not extradite the person until the Court has determined that the case is inadmissible. The Court's determination shall be made on an expedited basis.
4. If the requesting State is a State not Party to this Statute the requested State, if it is not under an international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting State, shall give priority to the request for surrender from the Court, if the Court has determined that the case is admissible.
5. Where a case under paragraph 4 has not been determined to be admissible by the Court, the requested State may, at its discretion, proceed to deal with the request for extradition from the requesting State.
6. In cases where paragraph 4 applies except that the requested State is under an existing international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting State not Party to this Statute, the requested State shall determine whether to surrender the person to the Court or extradite the person to the requesting State. In making its decision, the requested State shall consider all the relevant factors, including but not limited to:
(a) The respective dates of the requests;
(b) The interests of the requesting State including, where relevant, whether the crime was committed in its territory and the nationality of the victims and of the person sought; and
(c) The possibility of subsequent surrender between the Court and the requesting State.
7. Where a State Party which receives a request from the Court for the surrender of a person also receives a request from any State for the extradition of the same person for conduct other than that which constitutes the crime for which the Court seeks the person's surrender:
(a) The requested State shall, if it is not under an existing international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting State, give priority to the request from the Court;
(b) The requested State shall, if it is under an existing international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting State, determine whether to surrender the person to the Court or to extradite the person to the requesting State. In making its decision, the requested State shall consider all the relevant factors, including but not limited to those set out in paragraph 6, but shall give special consideration to the relative nature and gravity of the conduct in question.
Where pursuant to a notification under this article, the Court has determined a case to be inadmissible, and subsequently extradition to the requesting State is refused, the requested State shall notify the Court of this decision.
1. A request for arrest and surrender shall be made in writing. In urgent cases, a request may be made by any medium capable of delivering a written record, provided that the request shall be confirmed through the channel provided for in article 87, paragraph 1 (a).
2. In the case of a request for the arrest and surrender of a person for whom a warrant of arrest has been issued by the Pre-Trial Chamber under article 58, the request shall contain or be supported by:
(a) Information describing the person sought, sufficient to identify the person, and information as to that person's probable location;
(b) A copy of the warrant of arrest; and
(c) Such documents, statements or information as may be necessary to meet the requirements for the surrender process in the requested State, except that those requirements should not be more burdensome than those applicable to requests for extradition pursuant to treaties or arrangements between the requested State and other States and should, if possible, be less burdensome, taking into account the distinct nature of the Court.
3. In the case of a request for the arrest and surrender of a person already convicted, the request shall contain or be supported by:
(a) A copy of any warrant of arrest for that person;
(b) A copy of the judgement of conviction;
(c) Information to demonstrate that the person sought is the one referred to in the judgement of conviction; and
(d) If the person sought has been sentenced, a copy of the sentence imposed and, in the case of a sentence for imprisonment, a statement of any time already served and the time remaining to be served.
4. Upon the request of the Court, a State Party shall consult with the Court, either generally or with respect to a specific matter, regarding any requirements under its national law that may apply under paragraph 2 (c). During the consultations, the State Party shall advise the Court of the specific requirements of its national law.
1. In urgent cases, the Court may request the provisional arrest of the person sought, pending presentation of the request for surrender and the documents supporting the request as specified in article 91.
2. The request for provisional arrest shall be made by any medium capable of delivering a written record and shall contain:
(a) Information describing the person sought, sufficient to identify the person, and information as to that person's probable location;
(b) A concise statement of the crimes for which the person's arrest is sought and of the facts which are alleged to constitute those crimes, including, where possible, the date and location of the crime;
(c) A statement of the existence of a warrant of arrest or a judgement of conviction against the person sought; and
(d) A statement that a request for surrender of the person sought will follow.
3. A person who is provisionally arrested may be released from custody if the requested State has not received the request for surrender and the documents supporting the request as specified in article 91 within the time limits specified in the Rules of Procedure and Evidence. However, the person may consent to surrender before the expiration of this period if permitted by the law of the requested State. In such a case, the requested State shall proceed to surrender the person to the Court as soon as possible.
4. The fact that the person sought has been released from custody pursuant to paragraph 3 shall not prejudice the subsequent arrest and surrender of that person if the request for surrender and the documents supporting the request are delivered at a later date.