Azerbaijani oppositionist Agil Magerramov released from prison

Agil Magerramov, a member of the presidium of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, has been released from prison after spending four years in custody. The activist has promised to continue his political struggle for democratic changes in Azerbaijan.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on February 27, 2019, a court found five activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) guilty of money laundering. Among them was Agil Magerramov, a member of the PFPA’s presidium, who was sentenced to four years of imprisonment.

Early in the morning on May 25, Agil Magerramov left the penal colony after the expiration of his sentence. “I assumed that I would be released early, and therefore in the evening I said goodbye to the prisoners with whom I became friends in the penal colony. I was awakened at about five in the morning and told to get ready. Then I was given my documents and sent home by taxi. At half past seven in the morning, I was already at home. I believe that I was released early in the morning to prevent my fellow party members and journalists from meeting me at the gates of the penal colony. So, the penal colony administration wanted to avoid a mass gathering of people,” Agil Magerramov suggested.

The activist said that four years in prison were torn out of his life and that he was repeatedly refused conditional early relief (CER). “But I am not broken. I will continue my political activities for democratic changes in Azerbaijan, for building a free society in our country,” Agil Magerramov told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

Elshan Gasanov, the head of the Centre for Monitoring Political Prisoners, noted that with the release of Agil Magerramov, the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan decreased by one person.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 25, 2022 at 12:19 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.