Azerbaijani rights defenders urge President to pardon prisoners

The Monitoring Group of Human Rights Organizations of Azerbaijan (MGHROA) appealed to President Ilham Aliev asking him to grant pardon to 27 political prisoners in the country. Besides, the human rights defenders have emphasized worsening of human rights situation in Azerbaijan in 2011.

This was announced on December 14 at the press conference of the MGHROA's members in Baku, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

MGHROA: in 2011, number of political prisoners has increased dramatically

"In 2011, the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan increased dramatically. From the beginning of the year, 17 new political prisoners were convicted, and their total number reached 27 persons," stated Saida Godjamanly, a member of the MGHROA and the head of the Bureau for Human Rights and Law Compliance.

In particular, the MGHROA recognized 13 persons convicted after the rally of April 2, the oppositional activists Bakhtiyar Gadjiev and Jabbar Savalan, the human rights defender Vidadi Iskenderov, and Shakhin Gasanli, the activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) as new political prisoners.

"Despite the fact that the Amnesty International treats all those persons as prisoners of conscience, till present, they have not been released," said Saida Godjamanly.

However, the members of the Monitoring Group of Human Rights Organizations of Azerbaijan believes that those persons will be pardoned till the end of the year and that the problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan will come to its final solution.

Apart from the above mentioned convicted persons, the list of political prisoners sent to the President also includes names of Farkhad Aliev, ex-Minister of Economic Development, his brother Rafig Aliev, Ali Insanov, ex-Minister of Health (they were arrested on charges of an attempt of coup d'etat in 2005 and were later convicted for economic crimes, - note of the "Caucasian Knot"), and Ruslan Bashirli, the activists of the youth movement "Yeni Fikir" (he was convicted on charges of an attempt of coup d'etat, - note of the "Caucasian Knot").

Besides, the human rights defenders ask to grant pardon to a number of seriously ill prisoners.

The human rights defenders also treat Avaz Zeinalov, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Khural", as a potential political prisoner. The MGHROA's members believe that the journalist is being prosecuted for his professional activities and urge the authorities to release him from custody.

With regard to 10 persons, convicted in 2007 in the so-called "case of the Said Dadashbeili's group on charges of collaboration with the secret services of Iran and overthrow of the constitutional order, then, the MGHROA suggests to re-conduct the trial, since the first one "was not open."

Human rights defenders advocate abolition of Article "drug consumption"

The Monitoring Group of Human Rights Organizations of Azerbaijan also advocates the exclusion of Article 2341.1 ("drug consumption") from the Criminal Code.

"Many persons have been convicted under this article," stated Saadat Bananyarly, the MGHROA's member, the head of the Azerbaijani Representative Office of the International Committee for Human Rights.

According to her, "there is no sense to keep drug addicts in prison, since they are neither corrected nor cured there." The MGHROA suggests directing drug addicts to compulsory medical treatment.

"To prevent drug addiction, we should introduce at schools extracurricular lessons," said Saadat Bananyarly.

MGHROA's members claim worsening of human rights situation in 2011

Among the most resonant events, they mentioned the murder of the publicist Rafig Tagi (he died on November 23, after several days after attack of unidentified man, who had given him seven knife wounds, - note of the "Caucasian Knot") and the death of the 31-year-old Turadj Zeinalov in the SIZO (pre-trial prison) of the Ministry of National Security of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.

They urged the authorities to identify and punish the persons guilty of the cases.

The MGHROA's members stated regular violation of various provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights in the country. In this regard, the human rights defenders urged the authorities to comply with their international obligations on human rights.

Ombudsperson of Azerbaijan appeals to President with petition for pardon

In her turn, Elmira Suleimanova, the Ombudsperson in Azerbaijan, has appealed to the Pardon Commission under President of Azerbaijan asking to release more than 70 prisoners by the end of the year.

According to Elmira Suleimanova, she asked the President, when granting pardon, "to give preference to elderly and seriously ill persons, young people and journalists."

Till present, 339 persons were pardoned at the Ombudsperson's motion request.

At the same time, Elmira Suleimanova has evaded answering the question whether her list included persons treated by international human rights organizations as political prisoners or prisoners of conscience and pointed to "lack of a generally accepted definition of 'political prisoner'."