Impressions of pardon: joy and bitterness

It is noted that by the number of the released the pardon on March 17, 2019 is the most impressive -431 people. However, in 2018, by the 100th Republic (APA - ADR), 634 convicts were pardoned. The number of the pardoned political prisoners this year is 51, against 12 in 2018 - almost fourfold increase from those whose names are included in the lists of political prisoners. In this sense, the pardon of this year is the most impressive.

However, again, as before, there is some bitterness from the half-heartedness of the humane act of pardon. People released this time are so iconic and eminent figures - Bayram Mammadov, Giyas Ibrahimov, Ali Insanov, Gozel Bayramly and other political figures that even pro-governmental media write and publish their photographs.

Two young members from the NIDA political movement - Giyas Ibrahimov and Bayram Mammadov, who wrote on the pedestal of the monument to Heydar Aliyev completely offensive slogans, were arrested in 2016, beaten, humiliated and sentenced to 10 years for allegedly drug possession. For this slogan painted on a pedestal they could be imprisoned at least for two years as for malicious hooliganism, and even resistance to police could be concocted; but they were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment on charges of drug possession. The society worried about these guys, their mothers, their father, who cursed the judge in the court and was also punished for this.

The Minister of Health, Ali Insanov, was arrested in 2005 for attempting a coup, and was sentenced in 2007 to 11 years in prison. Last year, on the eve of his release, he was sentenced to a second term for illegal treatment of convicts at the place of detention. He is secretly called the head of the community of Azerbaijanis from Armenia, they call themselves "Western Azerbaijanis." Being imprisoned, Insanov proved to be a courageous politician, and just like the above mentioned "prisoners of the monument", Insanov did not apply to the president for pardon. After the pardon they said that they were innocent, did not ask for release, and would continue their struggle, Insanov said he was not going to leave Azerbaijan. The pardoned thanked not the president, but international organizations.

Two deputy chairmen of the Popular Front Party, three journalists, several religious activists, participants of mass protests in three cities at different times were released. By the number of pardoned political prisoners, this action is the most impressive; but 70 people included in the list of political prisoners remain in custody.

Of course, there is joy, but it hurts that the terms of life-long prisoners known to society was not reduced; their guilt is dubious, and they do not plead guilty. Riot policemen convicted for 23 years also were not released.

The most famous man, a poet Sergey Strelayev convicted for life-long, who claims to be falsely accused of double murder, was not released either. He is in the harshest Gobustan prison. We visited him there three times. It is a pity for him, his mother Anna, his young wife and son (Strelayev married in prison with a student. Anna Strelayeva published five poetry collections of her son, who wrote poems in a prison cell. Of course, as a prisoner, he is ideally disciplined, because obedience is this only way to hope for the release.

In the list of pardoned there are no names of Strelayev, the businessman Shamsi Samadzade in whose case there is no murder charge. There is no life-sentenced poet Yasin Gasimov, another one of the same category - an elderly professor, a scientist. I met them, they made a very good impression on me. They should not be in a cell for 23 hours a day with a one-hour walk in the same cell, only without a ceiling.

I do not see consistency in this pardon. 431 people were released, among them there are51 political prisoners - very well, their relatives, parents, children, wives and husbands are very happy. But why did they open the door for one of them, and did not open for others? I wish Sergei and Shamsi were pardoned? What is terrible with Afgan Mukhtarly? He did not even paint the monument; he lived in Georgia and participated there in opposition activities against the Azerbaijani authorities. "Political prisoners should have been released earlier, they do not pose a threat to society," said Nijat Hajiyev, the author of articles in The Mirror.

It is said that a pardon has been announced in order to reduce the pressure on the Azerbaijani authorities from international organizations. Azerbaijan needs a positive, non-totalitarian image for diplomatic activities in the Karabakh direction. It is important to ease the tension in society, therefore in 2019 there were many increases in wages, pensions, benefits, scholarships. Yes, it is. Then another 400 such as socially safe prisoners like Sergei, Shamsi, Afgan, journalist Seymour Hazy, politician Fuad Ahmedli, chairman of the Islamic Party Movsum Samedov and others would could be freed. What is bad? There would not be a single convicted person in Azerbaijan who would have a political motive in the accusation. Azerbaijan could participate in any negotiations equally with normal countries, which imprison people only and only for criminality.

Unfair court decisions are so widespread in our country that President I. Aliyev actually confessed the presence of such a problem, speaking at a meeting with cultural figures. He said that very serious reforms in the law-enforcement sphere will be carried out this year. The pardon on March 17, 2019 should be considered as the realization of the tasks set by the president, believes political analyst Elkhan Shahinoglu. "It is important for the state to solve problems leading to radicalization and polarization in the country. The central government receives especially many complaints about the actions of judges," writes the political scientist. We agree that the pardon has reduced the intensity of disagreements in the Azerbaijani society, but what prevented the removal of this problem completely?