Press Release of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

On October 27, The Ministry of Internal Affairs held a Board meeting in an online format dedicated to the discussion of the illegal circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, the provision of road traffic safety, the consideration and acceptance of citizens' appeals in the city and district police bodies, as well as the discussion of the results for nine months of the current year.
On the welcoming speech, the Minister of Internal Affairs, colonel-general Vilayat Eyvazov expressed the importance of these three issues in the protection of fundamental human rights, provision of citizen satisfaction, and protection of the legal interests of every person from criminal intent.

Before the discussions, minister V.Eyvazov underlined that as a result of the explosion of mines buried by the remnants of the Armenian army located in the city of Khankandi and nearby areas on September 19 of this year, the death of more 6 person, as well as police colleagues, 20 people from the personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who participated in the local anti-terrorist measures carried out by our Armed Forces under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief Mr. Ilham Aliyev on the same day were martyred and 24 people were injured. In general, taking into account the Patriotic War, the Internal Troops and the police gave 78 martyrs and 370 people were injured, and the memory of all the martyrs was commemorated with a minute of silence.

Colonel-general V.Eyvazov said that, on October 15 our country witnessed historical moments and events again, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mr. Ilham Aliyev raised flag in Khankandi, Khojavand, Khojali and other territories which are cleared of terrorists, as well as Khankandi City Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was founded, temporary commandants have been appointed to Khojali, Tartar and Khankandi, all necessary measures were taken to ensure security and order in those territories that were freed from occupation, every house, every building and infrastructural facilities were secured, numerous weapons and ammunition and military equipment were discovered from the positions of illegal armed groups.

As a whole, he underlined that the police and the Internal Troops perform their official duties with great responsibility and professionalism in the entire territory of Karabakh, protect security, and this process will be continuous.

After that minister said that, internal affairs bodies and Internal Troops implemented their duties which are defined by legislation necessarily during these 9 months of this year. The solving of total crimes was 86.8 percent, 88.6 percent of the 26,778 crimes registered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor's Office were solved.
A total of 336 cases from previous years, encompassing various severe offenses, were successfully resolved through collaborative efforts with the General Prosecutor's Office. The enhancement of detecting intentional grievous bodily harm, hooliganism, robbery, fraud, extortion, and carjacking has been notable.
Furthermore, there has been a decline in the occurrence of crimes involving firearms, thefts, robberies, hooliganism, and car hijacking
178 criminal groups consisting of 466 people who committed serious and particularly serious crimes were neutralized. 83.3 percent of the wanted accused persons were arrested. 79 percent of the material damage caused to citizens as a result of committed crimes and 93.1 percent of the damage caused as a result of petty looting were paid.
Measures to combat illegal drug trafficking in the country were also kept under control. Compared to the corresponding period of last year, 1 ton and 19 kilograms more than the corresponding period of last year - that is, 4 tons and 18 kilograms of narcotic drugs and 343 kilograms of psychotropic substances - were removed from illegal circulation, 110 criminal groups consisting of 244 people were neutralized, and a total of 6,344 people were prosecuted for these crimes. In the field of anti-narcotic propaganda, 1,028 educational events were held in educational institutions.

The recorded instances of traffic accidents in the republic have seen a reduction of 55 incidents, and the count of individuals harmed in these accidents has also dropped due to measures implemented to enhance road traffic safety, accident prevention, and the reinforcement of driver discipline. However, the number of identified traffic violations has surged by over 1.7 million, reaching a total of 5.1 million compared to the same period last year. Notably, 64 percent of these violations were detected through the use of specialized technical means.
Issues on the field of consideration of citizen applications, reception holding, deliberate response to the complaint is under control during the last 9 months, 75.146 application is considered as well as, in parallel with this important work, reception of about 3,000 citizens was carried out in 9 cities and districts of the republic with advance information in the mass media. The solutions of the raised problems were provided, more than 2,500 letters of gratitude were received from the initiators. 

The leaders of the pertinent main departments within the Ministry, along with various regional bodies, provided updates on accomplished tasks, achieved outcomes, and implemented measures aimed at enhancing their respective activities.
In concluding the meeting, Minister V. Eyvazov highlighted that, over the first 9 months of the current year, the objectives outlined in the combat against crime and the maintenance of order and security have been completely fulfilled.
The minister, who appreciated the positive results achieved in the combating illegal drug trafficking, directed the implementation of endeavors in this regard with increased steadfastness and resolve. Emphasis was placed on the forthcoming tasks, and gratitude was extended to individuals manifesting a commendable civic stance, encompassing bloggers, other social activists, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and members of the media.
The minister, who is actively involved in efforts to alleviate traffic congestion in the capital, addressed the imperative of addressing the issue of unlawfully parked vehicles along roadways that impede the smooth flow of traffic. He emphasized the necessity to eradicate other illicit practices, outlining a broader strategy to fortify measures in this domain. Specifically, he delineated forthcoming objectives aimed at enhancing traffic safety and issued directives to the leaders of pertinent institutions.

Minister V. Eyvazov, who placed significant emphasis on the critical task of reviewing appeals for the purpose of enhancing citizen satisfaction and bolstering trust and confidence in the state, assigned additional responsibilities to elevate the process of responding to complaints to a higher standard of quality.
The minister highlighted specific shortcomings and deficiencies within the operations of certain territorial bodies, underscoring the necessity for implementing requisite measures to rectify them. Ensuring the steadfast protection of the legal interests, rights, and freedoms of every individual, maintaining consistent citizen satisfaction, upholding ethical conduct among personnel, and continually adhering to legal standards were emphasized as ongoing imperatives. The Minister stressed the need for the perpetual reinforcement of legality and the progressive enhancement of professionalism.
Minister V. Eyvazov, drawing the attention of the panel participants to the meetings held with the delegations of international organizations over the past years, emphasized the measures implemented in the field of protection of human rights and freedoms in the country and noted that the discussions on increasing the effectiveness of the activities in this field, improving the institutional mechanisms and the measures taken things have been very helpful.

With the aim of enhancing the professional development of personnel, a critical aspect in aligning activities with contemporary standards and progressive international practices, over the past five years, more than 3000 employees from internal affairs bodies actively participated in seminars, training courses, conferences, and other events focused on human rights. These events were conducted both within Azerbaijan and abroad. Notably, European experts were invited to contribute to exercises conducted at the Police Academy, where they not only participated but will also be leading upcoming training sessions. Additionally, directives have been issued to promptly update the relevant educational programs. 
He took into account that on the basis of the National Action Plans on "Promoting Open Government and Combating Corruption", internal control mechanism and correspondent professional trainings have been improved, prepared projects in order to make changes to the legislation acts regarding to the international experience and organized virtual trainings for the employees of the investigative institutions of the republic on the issues of ensuring the transparency of interrogations and all the rights of arrested and kept persons established in international conventions. As the logical result of the decisive measures implemented by the Ministry, negative cases among the personnel is decreased minimally and in the past 5 years, investigations were conducted on 1,286 employees who violated the rules of service discipline and ethical behavior, and 121 people were dismissed from service,  139 people were released from their positions, 1,026 people were subject to other disciplinary measures, 7 employees who were rude to police officers during the previous year were dismissed, 16 employees were dismissed from their positions, and 21 other employees were given other disciplinary sanctions.
The minister instructed all chiefs of territorial police bodies to maintain daily oversight of the situation regarding the protection of human rights, with particular emphasis on safeguarding the rights of detained or arrested individuals. The minister underscored the imperative of refraining from rudeness and any form of ill-treatment, emphasizing that engaging in unlawful behavior would entail significant consequences. The minister also stressed the crucial importance of unwavering adherence to the stipulations of normative and legal acts, highlighting that each executive bears personal responsibility for the outcomes of activities in these areas.
In general, the minister conveyed that the Ministry of Internal Affairs places great importance on collaborative relations with international organizations. Furthermore, it was expressed that future interactions and mutual relations will be approached in a constructive and positive manner.

Colonel-General Vilayat Eyvazov extended his sincere appreciation to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, for the considerable attention and support directed towards the internal affairs bodies. He acknowledged the substantial value and trust placed in the endeavors of his personal staff. Colonel-General Eyvazov affirmed the commitment to persistently and resolutely continue the duties related to maintaining order, security, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring public order in the republic.