The new campaign in support of political prisoners

On  April 14, Facebook announced a campaign for the release of political prisoners in Azerbaijan. Details were presented Thursday in the Media Center IRFS.

The campaign "Azad children" (Release) has a goal - the full release of political prisoners.

Chairman of the youth organization of PFPA, Ilham Huseynov, reminded about the recent arrests of political activists, and particularly administrative penalties applied against members of the Popular Front Party. The present  situation is that citizens  can not  appeal anywhere  for protection , he said.

According to the deputy chairman of the Popular Front Party, Abulfaz Gurbanly , the campaign must  inform public about political prisoners, and ensure that international structures put pressure on Baku.

“We cannot allow members  of NIDA Movement  be sentenced to lengthy prison terms , we will fight to the complete liberation of all political prisoners. Therefore , the campaign must be ongoing," said Gurbanly.

Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, Leyla Yunus, noted that her organization has been dealing  in the issue of political prisoners since 1995. "Then there  were 714 political prisoners in Azerbaijan. In 2002 there were fewer than a hundred , and now 129 political prisoners in the country , of which 40 are prisoners of conscience," said Yunus.

She proposed to launch a campaign calling for the abolition of the European Games in Azerbaijan, as well as to apply to all countries of the Council of Europe on the issue of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, which will head the  PACE Committee of Ministers in May.

Turgut Gambar – a leader of the Movement NIDA read a statement  of  eight arrested  members of the organization. Today  they have started a hunger strike in protest against discrimination and repression.

All speakers talked about the need  of vigorous activity on social networks in relation to demand the release of political prisoners. -04С-