International organizations call on Azerbaijan to release all political prisoners

Representatives of the USA, the European Union (EU) and international organizations have positively treated the decree of President of Azerbaijan to pardon and release a group of political prisoners. At the same time, they deem it necessary to release all the remaining activists.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 17, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev signed a decree to pardon 148 people, including 14 well-known political prisoners, such as Rasul Jafarov, Anar Mamedli, Talekh Khasmamedov, Hilal Mamedov, and others.

The USA welcomes the step of the Azeri Govt to set free more than 10 activists, journalists and members of political parties, convicted for their human rights activities and implementation of fundamental freedoms. This is said in the statement of John Kirby, the official representative of the US Department of State, received by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent on March 18 from the US Embassy.

"We are ready to continue work with the government of Azerbaijan towards additional positive steps in this direction. We also call on the Government to release the remaining individuals who, by all accounts, have been jailed for realization of their freedoms," says Mr Kirby's statement.

Alexander Lambsdorff, the Vice-President of the European Parliament on human rights and democracy, also welcomed the release of political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

"We are relieved to learn that Rasul Jafarov and fourteen other political prisoners were pardoned by President Aliev," a press release of the European Parliament quotes Mr Lambsdorff as saying.

At the same time, he stressed that "other prisoners, like Khadija Ismayilova, Intigam Aliev and Ilgar Mamedov, too, must be freed."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.