Ganimat Zakhidov, editor of opposition newspaper, pardoned in Azerbaijan

Today, Ilham Aliev,  president of Azerbaijan, has signed a decree on granting pardon to 72 convicts, including Ganimat Zakhidov, editor of an opposition newspaper. The pardon is linked with the Novruz holiday marked on the day of the vernal equinox.

In accordance with the decree, 62 convicts are to be released from prison. The life term has been replaced by 20 years of prison for one more convict. For nine persons, the punishment not connected with imprisonment has been lifted.

The persons released from prison include Ganimat Zakhidov, chief editor of the opposition newspaper "Azadlyg" ("Freedom"). He was arrested in November 2007 on the charge of hooliganism and inflicting bodily harm and convicted for 4 years in prison.

While welcoming the release of Zakhidov, Emin Guseinov, director of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), has expressed his regret that the pardon does not include one more imprisoned journalist, Einullah Fatullaev, and two young bloggers, Emin Milli and Adnan Gadjizade, who have been listed by the "Amnesty International" as the prisoners of conscience.

The human rights activists yet refrain from commenting on the question how the decree on pardon has resolved the problem of political prisoners.

According to the data of the Monitoring Group of the Azeri human rights organizations, the number of political prisoners before this pardon was 24 persons.

In its turn, the Federation of Azeri Human Rights Organizations mentioned 60 political prisoners.