R.Jafarov: there are no less than Azerbaijani prisons are at least 140 political prisoners

A decree  on amnesty signed by the President Ilham Aliyev has  not solved the problem of political prisoners in the country, believe human rights activists of the country.

According to them , pardon affected only two political prisoners, the brothers Farhad and Rafiq Aliyevs (former Minister of Economic Development and a former head of Azpetrol company.)However, in the old list of the Monitoring Group of Human Rights Organizations  there  remain nine political prisoners.

However,  in an interview with Turan, a member of the MGHRO, the head of the Bureau of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Saida Gojamanli Saeed said that the group considers  potential political prisoners  a group of seven youth activists  of NIDA, the leader of the civil movement "Republican Alternative" Ilgar Mamedov, and deputy chairman of the party "Musavat" Tofig Yagublu those who has not yet appeared before the court.

Gojamanli expressed the hope that all these people in the trials will be released.

MGHRO also supports  the release of the leader of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan (IPA), Movsum Samedov, and  other six Islamists.

Gojamanli commended the order of pardon on the eve of Gurban Bayram  resulted in the release of 153 priosners. Gojamanli expressed the hope that before the end of the year, will be new pardons that affect and political prisoners, and this problem will be fully resolved.

Another coalition of NGOs - Human  Rights Club ( the head is  Rasul Jafarov ), the Institute for Peace and Democracy (Director Leyla Yunus), and the International Organization of Legal Studies ( the head  is a lawyer Javanshir Suleymanov ) has  compiled a list of 142 political prisoners , which was distributed in early October at the  PACE’s autumn session.

Among the pardoned were only two political prisoners Farhad Aliyev and Rafiq Aliyev   from this list.

In an interview with  Turan agency, the head of the Human Rights Club, Rasul Jafarov, said that among  140 other political prisoners  are 10 journalists and bloggers - Faramaz Allahverdiev , Sardar Alibeili, Nijat Aliyev, Parviz Hashimli , Fuad Huseynov , Araz Guliyev, Hilal Mammadov , Rashad Ramazanov (Agaiddin ) Tofig Yagublu ( deputy chairman of the party " Musavat " and at the same time an employee of the newspaper " Yeni Musavat "),  and Avaz Zeinally. Then come two human rights defenders (Ilham Amiraslanov and Bakhtiyar Mammadov), 11 youth activists , including seven members of the  NIDA Movement. 

The list includes also  seven activists of political parties and movements , including the leader of the party Azerbaijan’s  National Statehood Nemat Panahli , leader of the REAL Ilgar Mamedov, adviser to the head of the party "Musavat" Yadigar Sadygova , a member of the National Council of Democratic Forces , a lawyer Gurban Mammadov and others.

This is followed by a large group of believers -64 people. Among them is the leader of the Islamic Party, Movsum Samedov, and six activists of the party arrested along  with him. There is a large group of so-called "prisoners of hijab", the protesters against the ban on headscarves in schools, theologians Taleh Bagirzade  and Abgul Suleymanov, etc.

There are 18 life prisoners in the list of the accused. These individuals , at one time involved in the fighting for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, were sentenced  to death on charges of trying to overthrow the government and other political crimes. However, after lifting the  capital punishment, they were  imprisoned for life.  But the law is not retroactive , and at the time of their death sentences , alternative penalty was 15 years in prison. In this case, three of these persons Elchin Amiraslanov , Arif Kyazimov, and Safa Poladov, in 2001 were recognized by the CE  as political prisoners.

Another 20 people were classified as "Other." Among them are condemned by the so –called "case of Said Dadashbeyli" (2007 in the case were convicted 10 people , accused of  state coup and cooperation with intelligence agencies of Iran to overthrow of the constitutional order,) former Health Minister Ali Insanov and  the Minister  of External Economic Relations, Nijat Guliyev , the former manager of the president, Akif Muradverdiyev , a former officer of the Special State Protection Service Asif  Latifov, and others. After the release of the brothers Aliyevs, there remained 18 people in the list of this category.

Some prisoner included the list  have  not been sentenced by court yet, however  human rights groups say their cases  are politically motivated.

Earlier in August, Amnesty International also recognized the 14 prisoners in Azerbaijan "prisoners of conscience" , 12 of which have not yet convicted.–06B--