Classification of political prisoners in Azerbaijan according to Leyla Tunus (UPDATED)

Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD ) extended the list of political prisoners in Azerbaijan , which included 134 people . However, they are divided into 38 "prisoners of conscience" and 96 political prisoners.

In particular, the "prisoners of conscience" by  IPD were  recognized persons arrested and convicted only because of the peaceful  expressing their political, religious or other beliefs, including the Internet .

Among them are 11 journalists and bloggers. In particular, the "prisoners of conscience"  are recognized journalists Faramaz Allahverdiev ( Novruzoglu ) , chief editor of “PS Nota” Sardar Alibeili , editor in chief of the religious site azadxeber.org Nijat Aliyev , an employee of the newspaper " Bizim Yol", and the head of the site moderator.az Parviz Gashimli , journalist  from Ujar region, Fuad Huseynov; editor in chief of the religious site xeber44.com Araz Guliyev, chief editor of "Khural" newspaper Avaz Zeynalov , chief editor of "Tolyshi Sado" Gilal Mammadov, a columnist for the newspaper " Yeni Musavat" Tofig Yagublu ( he is also the deputy chairman of the party " Musavat " ) , as well as bloggers  Rashad Agaaddin  and Abdul Abilov.

Among the "prisoners of conscience" three human rights activist -  Election Monitoring and Democratic Studies  Center, Anar Mammadov, lawyer Gurban Mammadov, and the defender of the  housing rights  of  militarists, Bakhtiyar Mammadov.

Among the "prisoners of conscience"  are 10 youth activists , including seven members of the  NIDA Movement.

The IPD   admitted "Prisoners of Conscience"  two politicians - under investigation Ilgar Mamedov, the leader of  REAL Movement  charged on the events in Ismayilli region, and Yadigar Sadigov, adviser to the head of the party "Musavat"  sentenced to six years in prison for hooliganism.

The  IPD included  into the group of "prisoners of conscience" 10 convicted believers of so-called "group  of Sayid Dadashbeyli." In 2007, these individuals were sentenced to lengthy prison terms on charges of collaboration with the intelligence agencies of Iran,  and the attempt to  overthrow the constitutional order. It is noteworthy that the young men were found guilty of not trying to seize power,  but the seizure of power.

Finally, two other "prisoners of conscience" are a theologian Taleh Bagirzade and leader of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan Movsum Samedov.

Defining political prisoners, the  IPD was guided  by criteria resolution N 1900 PACE adopted October 3, 2012. According to the resolution, a person is considered a political prisoner if it corresponds to one , several or all of the following five criteria:

- If the detention was carried out directly in violation of one of the fundamental guarantees set out in the European Convention on Human Rights and its Protocols , in particular, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom of expression and information, freedom of assembly and association ;

- If the decision on detention order was made for purely for political reasons without regard to any criminal offense ;

- If for political reasons, the duration of detention or its conditions were clearly not proportional to the crime;

- If politically motivated persons detained in a discriminatory manner in comparison with other persons;

- If the detention is the result of proceedings which were manifestly unfair, and it seems to be connected with political motives of the authorities.

Ninety six political prisoners in the list IPD were divided into several subgroups .

Two people  refer to the  subgroup "policy/political activists." This leader of Azerbaijan National Statehood Nemat Panahli and activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA ) Rahib Hajiyev.

Four other people in the group  are "former government officials":  former health ministers and foreign economic relations - Ali Insanov and Nijat Guliyev , former manager of the president , Akif Muradverdiyev, and former employee of the Special State Protection Service Asif Latifov.

In addition,  four people included in the subgroup IPD "arrested as political hostages."

The talk is about the relatives of politicians arrested for their opposition activities.

One of them is Elnur Seyidov, the brother-in- law of the PFPA leader Ali Kerimli, sentenced to 7.5 years in prison on trumped-up charges of economic crimes.

In the large subgroup  of "religious activists" 61 people, including:

- three believers arrested in February 2010 for taking part in marches,

- four activists of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan ;

- 38 so-called "prisoners of hijab" - arrested October 5, 2012 for participating in a protest in front of the Ministry of Education;

- nine believers convicted together with the chief editor of the religious site azadxeber.org Nijat Aliyev ;

-  seven believers convicted together with the chief editor of the religious site xeber44.com Araz Guliyev.

In the same subgroup  are five believers , including theologian Abgyul Suleymanov and  four people arrested in connection with the case against the theologian "prisoner of conscience" Taleh Bagirzade .

Finally,  21 political prisoners were included the group "illegally sentenced to life imprisonment or long prison terms."

Among them  are the former riot police and other units involved in the fighting for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan . Most of these individuals were sentenced to death in cases of coup attempts in 1994-95. However, after the abolition of capial punishment they  were sentenced to life imprisonment. However, according to human rights activists , the law is not retroactive , and at the time when they were sentenced to capital punishment, alternative penalty was 15 years in prison, an the verdict against them was incorrectly replaced  by the life imprisonment.

According to the Director of IMD, Leyla Yunus, the problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan began  with  the coming of  Heydar Aliyev to power in 1993. 

However, if in the mid -1990s among the political prisoners dominated riot police and the military, but  in recent years, the government persecuted for political reasons a large number of believers, said Yunus. –06D--

2014 January 23 (Thursday) 14:18:19

The Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD ) Leila Yunus at the Thursday press conference provided the list of 135 people convicted or arrested for political reasons available in January 2014.

38 of them are "prisoners of conscience" and another 97 are political prisoners.

Of these 134 people, 116 are convicted, 6 are people under investigation, and the investigation against 12 others is ongoing, said Yunus.

Among the repressed there are journalists and bloggers - 11 people, human rights activists - 3 people, politicians - 2 people, relatives of politicians - 4 people, former officials - 4 people, believers - 61 people (including 10 members of the Sayid Dadashbeyli group), illegally sentenced to life imprisonment - 21 people, and others.

According to Yunus, the problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan came with the arrival in 1993 of Heydar Aliyev. Joining the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan made 21 commitments, one of which was the release of political prisoners or conducting new trials.

At that time, Azerbaijan had 716 prisoners and 21 of them are still in custody.

The PACE rapporteur Christoph Strasser spent a great deal of work on the issue of political prisoners, but his report was defeated by the Azerbaijani government lobbyists at the PACE session in January last year. Then there were only 84 political prisoners, but the deviation from the Strasser report gave the green light to new repression, after which the number of political prisoners increased by 50 people.

For that Yunus blamed the co-rapporteur of the PACE Monitoring Committee Pedro Agramunt, who twice opposed during the discussion of the Strasser report.

Yunus accused Agramunt of cooperation with the Azerbaijani authorities, calling on him and another speaker, Joseph Gresh to resign.

As for last year, it was a year of repression. People were arrested almost weekly for expressing their opinions.

After the presidential election on October 9 the courts, fulfilling a political order, sentenced people arrested for political reasons to severe penalties.

During the pre-trial investigation the defendants are under severe physical and psychological pressure, said Yunus. -06C-