Azerbaijan criminalises ecocide

Summary:

The Republic of Azerbaijan has passed legislation to amend its national criminal code with a new crime of ecocide. 

Amendment 104-1 was put forward by President Ilyam Alihev and passed three stages of voting in the country’s parliament without amendment, becoming law on 22 October 2024.

The new crime is included in Azerbaijan's criminal code on Crimes against Peace and Humanity, and carries custodial sentences of ten to fifteen years. The legislation defines ecocide as: 

“Intentional commission of acts of mass destruction of flora or fauna, the poisoning of the atmosphere, land or water supplies, or other acts that harm the environment, when these acts cause an ecological disaster or create a real danger of an ecological disaster occurring”.

The introduction of the new law came on the eve of the country hosting the COP29 climate summit in Baku in November 2024.

The legislation, entitled “On Amendments to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan”, can be found on the Azerbaijani parliament website here.