Human Rights Activists Present Another List of Political Prisoners with 108 Names

Baku / 10.06.20 / Turan: On June 10, a civil society working group released an updated list of political prisoners. It includes 108 names. There are 4 journalists in it: Araz Guliyev, Elchin Ismayilli, Zia Asadli and Polad Aslanov.

The group “political and social activists” has 12 names: Fuad Ahmedli, Orkhan Bahyshly, Saleh Rustamov, Aghil Maharramov, Babek Hasanov, Pasha Umudov, Tofig Yagublu, Zamin Salayev, Gorkhmaz Aliyev, Aghil Humbatov, Niyameddin Ahmedov and Saeed Mammadzadeh. All of them are members of the PFPA.

Tofig Yagublu is a member of Musavat, and Saleh Rustamov is a former member of the Popular Front.

The largest group consists of believers - there are 43 names, including those convicted of the Nardaran events, the case of the Islamic Party, etc.

The list also includes three life-sentenced prisoners. These are members of the former special police regiment Elchin Amiraslanov, Arif Kazymov and Safa Poladov, who have been in prison for almost a quarter of a century.

Emin Saghiyev, a relative of the political emigrant Turkel Azerturk, was recognized as “hostage”. Three more political prisoners are from the Saeed Dadashbeyli group.

Also on the list there are 42 convicts for the Ganja events of 2018.

After the publication of the previous list on November 25, 2019, 11 people were released - 4 by court decisions, 4 at the end of the term, 2 were pardoned, and 1 was transferred to house arrest.

At the same time, 7 people were included in the list: Tofig Yagublu, Zamin Salayev, Gorkhmaz Aliyev, Aghil Humbatov, Niyameddin Ahmedov, Saeed Mammadzadeh and Firudin Zeynalov.

Aghil Humbatov is included in the list because he was put in a psychiatric hospital for political reasons.

The working group also indicates increased pressure from the authorities on citizens for political reasons, using quarantine due to the pandemic. Many of the police detainees were beaten and tortured.

The police detained 11 civilians in the Yasamal district on June 7. The working group condemns this bullying and humiliating treatment of people and the distribution by the police of a video about their own lawlessness.

The working group called on the Azerbaijani authorities not to use the crisis in connection with the pandemic for human rights violations and to stop suppressing critical voices and peaceful protests by force.

The WG includes prominent representatives of civil society. The coordinator of the group is a well-known human rights activist Intigam Aliyev. —06D-