The Amnesty Does Not Actually Affect Political Prisoners

Today, the Azerbaijani parliament adopted the Amnesty Act, presented to the President by his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva, and dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev.

The act was passed with 114 votes "for" and will affect 9,000 people, of which 2,000 will be released from prison.

In particular, there will be released:

- Women who have not committed serious crimes, and have committed less serious offenses;

- Those who committed crimes before 18 years of age;

- Invalids of the first and second groups;

- Men who have reached 60 years of age;

- Having the care of minor children and children with disabilities of the first and second groups;

- Fighters for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan;

- Refugees and displaced persons.

In 2007 and 2009, respectively, Azerbaijan accepted amnesty acts and both times it was initiated by Mehriban Aliyeva.

But human rights groups and representatives of the Bar are disappointed at the current amnesty because it does not solve the problem of political prisoners.

As the lawyer Javad Javadov said, this amnesty, as the previous amnesty in 2007 and 2009, does not touch people under investigation and those who have been brought before the court, and only affects those, in respect of which there was a final verdict.

"This is not fair, because it improperly denies the right of people to be released because of possible subjective tightening their trials," said Javadov.

In addition, the amnesty does not apply to items, for which political, civic and religious activists and journalists have been condemned.

According to Javadov, of this category of persons the amnesty only applies to the religious activist Mehdi Shamilli. -16B06-