Over 20 international NGOs call for release of all political prisoners in Azerbaijan

21 international human rights and journalistic organizations have issued a joint statement, in which they welcomed the act of pardoning in Azerbaijan and release of 15 political prisoners. They called for the release of all political prisoners.

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

"We feel an incredible relief from the report about the release of these individuals, but none of these 15 persons should have been arrested. Besides, dozens of other political prisoners are still in Azerbaijani jails, including journalists Khadija Ismayilova and Seymour Khazy, a human rights activist and lawyer Intigam Aliev, a youth activist Ilkin Rustamzade, and leader of the 'Republican Alternative' (ReAl) Ilgar Mamedov, the release of whom was demanded by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR); they should be set free; and this vicious circle of politically motivated arrests must be broken," the statement quotes Rebecca Vincent, the coordinator of the campaign "Sports for Human Rights".

The authors of the statement conclude by urging the international community "to insist on the release of other political prisoners, as a priority, as well as on further reforms with the aim to improve the grave human rights situation in Azerbaijan."

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