The Milli Majlis (National Assembly) has officially adopted the annual report of the Ministry of Justice, the body responsible for administrative oversight of municipal activities in Azerbaijan. According to Operative Information Center-OMM, the document was presented and debated during today's plenary session of the parliament's spring session.
Presenting the report, Deputy Minister of Justice Toghrul Huseynov stated that numerous criminal indicators related to municipal activities were identified in Azerbaijan over the past year. Collected evidence in 62 cases has been forwarded to investigative authorities for legal assessment. The Deputy Minister noted that criminal cases have been initiated in 14 of these instances, representations for the elimination of legal violations were issued in 17 cases, and investigations into 31 cases are currently ongoing.
The report further highlighted that the Ministry of Justice took action to cancel municipal acts regarding the illegal allocation of 3,142 hectares of land. As a result of these interventions and court claims, illegal decisions concerning the lease of 3,121 hectares and the private ownership of 21 hectares of land were successfully annulled. Furthermore, under Article 549 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (obstructing the activities of a supervisory body), protocols were filed against officials, leading to 43 municipal chairmen being held administratively liable, while three additional protocols remain under judicial review.
In Azerbaijan, municipalities are local self-governing bodies distinct from the central state administration, yet they remain subject to administrative supervision by the Ministry of Justice to ensure compliance with national legislation. This oversight mechanism is a critical component of Azerbaijan's efforts to combat corruption and ensure the transparent management of public lands and resources. Following the discussions, the annual report was put to a vote and adopted in a single reading by the Milli Majlis (National Assembly).
