Updated list of political prisoners includes 100 names

Baku/04.11.22/Turan: On November 4, the Union "For Freedom of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan" released an updated list of political prisoners in the country.  The list was compiled by Leyla Yunus, director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, and Elshan Hasanov, head of the Center for Monitoring of Political Prisoners.

The list includes the names of 100 people, says the Institute for Peace and Democracy. The authors of the list used the criteria of the concept of "political prisoners" established by the PACE.

The previous list was published on September 28, 2022 and contained 99 names. https://www.turan.az/ext/news/2022/9/free/Social/ru/9870.htm.

Elshan Hasanov told Turan that the list includes new names - head of Demokratik.az website Osman Narimanoglu and singer of religious songs Vugar Rasul.

Narimanoglu was arrested on July 5, 2022, on charges of extorting officials from the Land Reclamation Department and doctors in the Geranboy and Geygel regions.

After his arrest, the journalist claimed that the accusations were false, that he was slandered by those whose corruption he had exposed. Narimanoglu claims that the prosecution has no evidence of extortion, Gasanov said.

Vugar Rasul was arrested on July 18, 2022, on charges of drug trafficking. According to human rights activists, his family was not informed of his whereabouts and the charges until July 22.

Rasul denied the charges.  Human rights activists believe that the real reason for Rasul's arrest was his performance of religious protest songs.

Political prisoners are divided into six groups:

Group No. 1 - journalists and bloggers - 6 people

Group № 2 - members of opposition parties and movements - 4 people

Group № 3 - political emigrants deported from Germany - 5 people

Group N - believers - 18 people

Group No. 4 - convicts of the Terter case - 27 persons

Group № 5 - convicts of the Ganja case - 27 persons

Group No. 6 - those condemned for life - 13 persons. -06В-