Human rights activists count 66 political prisoners in Azerbaijan

According to the Federation of Human Rights Organizations of Azerbaijan (FHROA), in total, there are now 66 political prisoners in Azerbaijan. This was stated by Leila Yunus, Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, in her interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent in the context of the forthcoming discussion at the spring PACE session of the issue of appointing a special rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

Ms Yunus has noted that out of 66 political prisoners 27 had been put into the first list of 716 persons, which was adopted by the Council of Europe in 2001, when Azerbaijan joined the СЕ. Other 10 political prisoners are mentioned in the list of 101 persons, which was considered in 2001-2005 by former rapporteurs on political prisoners in Azerbaijan George Clairfit (Belgium) and Malcolm Bruce (Great Britain).

Fourteen political prisoners were arrested in 2005-2008. Among them Ruslan Bashirli, leader of the youth organization "New Generation", Natik Efendiev, activist of the Democratic Party, journalists Einullah Fatullaev, Ganimat Zakhid, Mirza Sakit and Mushfig Guseinov, head of the Talysh Cultural Centre Novruzali Mamedov and others.

The list of 66 includes also 7 persons from the "Karabakh guerrillas" - young men, who had planned to form groups for participation in warfare in Karabakh. Leila Yunus has emphasized that the "Karabakh guerrillas" are still in the list as they were arrested "on political charges, although later the political accusations were lifted."

Eight more persons are the so-called "potential" political prisoners. Among them Farkhad Aliev, ex-minister for economic development, his brother Rafik Aliev, former boss of the "Azpetrol" Private Company, Ali Insarov, ex-minister of public health, and others.

Ms Yunus has explained that they had been arrested on political charges - a coup d'etat attempt. However, as of today, they have been convicted for economic crimes, while the investigation of the coup d'etat charges goes on.

Besides, according to her story, the investigation on these persons' cases was accompanied by serious infringements of the law.

Earlier, Arzu Abdullaeva, head of the Azerbaijani National Committee of the Helsinki Civil Assembly, has stated that the PACE will appoint a special rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan, if the authorities of the country fail to release those whom the Assembly treats as political prisoners.

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