Leyla Yunus: There are 54 political prisoners in jails

The current pardon, just like previous such acts, does not solve the problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan despite the fact that 14 political prisoners will be released by one order, said Leyla Yunus, the Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD). Yunus was commenting during an interview with Turan news agency on the December 26 pardon. 

She noticed that most of the pardoned prisoners have already served a large part of their punishment. "However, it is a positive moment that the government released 14 political prisoners at once, which is unprecedented for Azerbaijan, because previously no more than 5-7 political prisoners were pardoned," said Yunus.

Referring to a forthcoming discussion of the report by Christopher Strasser on political prisoners in Azerbaijan, at the PACE winter session, Yunus said "There the authorities will be able to declare that steps were taken to address the issue, although they always deny the presence of the problem of political prisoners."

However, the real problem of political prisoners has not been solved, and there is even a disturbing new trend of undue lengthening of trials. For example, the trial of human rights defender Bakhtiyar Mammadov (defended the rights of the military servants whose houses were demolished in State Flag Square) has lasted since April, and the trial of the editor of "Khural" newspaper, Avaz Zeynalli, has lasted since May. Both were arrested on similar charges - extortion.

According to Yunus, the list of prisoners includes at least 54 political prisoners, four of whom are human rights defenders - Ilham Amiraslanov (headquarters "Kura"), Ilgar Rzayev (volunteer IPD), Bakhtiyar Mammadov and Hilal Mammadov (deputy head of the Talysh Cultural Center and editor of the newspaper "Tolyshi sado").

In addition, the IPD list includes seven journalists, Avaz Zeynalli, Zaur Guliyev, Vugar Gonagov (both from "Hayal TV"), Araz Guliyev (Editor of the religious online-edition xeber44.com in Masalli region), Nijat Aliyev (Editor-online-edition Azadxeber.org, religious), Faramaz Allahverdiyev (journalist convicted of publishing in social networks), and Fuad Huseynov (journalist  from Ujar region).

There are also the names of six activists of the Islamic Party, including its chairman Movsum Samedov and 10 other political prisoners from the group Dadashbeyli Sayid.

The IPD list also includes 18 people sentenced to life imprisonment for the coup attempt the mid-1990s.

IPD also considers the former Minister of Economic Development, Farhad Aliyev, his brother, businessman Rafiq Aliyev, former Health Minister, Ali Insanov, and head of National Statehood Party, Neimat Panahli political prisoners.

Along with this, IPD included as political prisoners five persons whose judgement has not come into effect, or who are under investigation: a youth activist of "Musavat", Nigar Yagublu, two religious Shiites, Mehdi Shamili and Sheikh Javid, and two Sunni worshipers from the northern region of the country, Rahib Piraly and Sharafaddin Mahmudov.—06B-