08:30, 8 March 2019

Hundreds Azerbaijani citizens join campaign for political prisoners' amnesty

Screenshot of a personal page of one of the organizers of a social campaign on #hamısınıazadet #freethemall (Free all!) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10218894094328540&set=a.1598884017164&type=3&theater

Activists have launched a campaign in the social networks "Free all!" demanding that the President of Azerbaijan release all the political prisoners on the occasion of the Novruz holiday. Authorities are now monitoring the public opinion in social networks, initiators of the campaign believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 4, the Union "For the Freedom of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners" counted 133 political prisoners in the country – by 17 persons less than in December 2018.

The termination of the new case against Mekhman Guseinov, the early release of Mamed Ibragim and Telman Shiraliev has manifested a softening of the persecutions of oppositionists in Azerbaijan, human rights defenders have stated. In their opinion, this was a result of civil society's resistance to repressions.

On March 6-15, activists are running a social campaign on #hamısınıazadet#freethemall (Free all!) calling on the authorities to release all the political prisoners.

The recent release of several political prisoners inspires optimism, Rasul Djafarov, the head of the Human Rights Club, has noted. According to his story, hundreds of users joined the campaign during the first two days.

Over the past two weeks, the presidential pardoning commission has reviewed over 400 appeals for clemency, said Alimamed Nuriyev, the head of the "Constitution" Research Fund. He did not rule out that for the holiday of Novruz, the pardon decree could be signed.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 7, 2019 at 11:28 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Faik Medjid

Source: CK correspondent