Baku: Individuals engaged in begging in Azerbaijan may soon face fines or administrative detention as part of new legislative measures, APA reports. This initiative is detailed in the proposed new Article 523-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. The proposal was discussed during a joint videoconference meeting of the Milli Majlis Committees on Legal Policy and State Building and on Human Rights.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the draft legislation stipulates that individuals caught begging will receive either a warning or a fine ranging from 100 to 200 manats. If these measures are insufficient, authorities may impose administrative detention for up to ten days, considering the circumstances of the case and the offender's identity.

The proposal also addresses the involvement of minors in begging. Those found culpable of involving minors will face fines ranging from 200 to 500 manats. Similar to the penalties for individual begging, if these fines are deemed inadequate, administrative detention for up to fifteen days may be enforced based on the case's specifics and the individual's identity.