Another nine arrested persons are recognized as political prisoners

Baku / 03.08.18 / Turan: The session of the Center for the Protection of Political Prisoners (CPPP) was held on Friday, the issue of updating the list of political prisoners was discussed.

It was noted that during the last 8 months, 19 political prisoners were released: 11 were pardoned, the rest were released on completion of the term or conditionally. At the same time, the list was supplemented by 9 new political prisoners, Ogtay Gulaliyev, coordinator of the CPPP, told Turan.

Among them, religious activists Shamkhal Eyvazov and Firudin Zeynal. The first was arrested in April on charges of illicit large-scale drug trafficking. Although, according to human rights activists, he was arrested for publications on religious topics. Firudin Zeynalov was arrested in Ganja in the autumn of last year. Nevertheless, he, being in custody, was also involved in the riots in Ganja on July 10 this year. The list also includes activists of the Popular Front Party Agul Magerrali, Babek, Hasanov and Ruslan Nasirli, former head of the Gadabay region Salekh Rustamov and his nephew Vidadi Rustamli. They were arrested in May this year on charges of "money laundering" and "illegal financing" of the Popular Front Party.

The list includes one more PFPA activist Orkhan Bakhyshly, who was also arrested in May on charges of illicit drug trafficking. Finally, the list was replenished by Abulfaz Bunyadov, who was sentenced to 14 years in the Nardaran events of 2015.

Thus, according to Gyulaliyev, the total number of political prisoners to date is 151 people.

The CPPP will also continue to investigate the cases of a group of people arrested recently and to hold an event on the subject in the near future.-06D-