Bad news for political prisoners: no traditional Novruz pardoning in Azerbaijan this year
No pardoning in Azerbaijan
Traditionally, in mid-March—on the eve of the Novruz holiday—a commission gathers in Azerbaijan to discuss pardons, and a decree of amnesty is signed a day or two before the holiday. ‘This year, such a decree for Novruz is unlikely,’ said Alimammad Nuriev, a member of the pardon commission. Human rights activist Rufat Safarov called the pardoning of political prisoners ‘the government’s manipulation of society’s sentiments.’
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Despite less than a month remaining until the Novruz holiday (celebrated on March 20-21), sessions of the pardon commission have not yet begun.
Last year, 801 prisoners were pardoned. Among them were the chairman of the party of Citizens and development, Ali Aliyev, and human rights activist and journalist Elchin Mammad, whom rights activists considered political prisoners.
According to some human rights activists, the number of political prisoners has increased since last year, and this issue needs to be addressed through their release. By some estimates, there are over 200 political prisoners in Azerbaijan. However, there is no exact statistics available.
“The sessions will take place at a time determined by the president”
In a conversation with the Turan agency, Alimamed Nuriev, a member of the Pardon Commission under the President, stated that the commission operates continuously, but this doesn’t imply that pardons should be issued regularly.
“The sessions will take place at a time determined by the president,” he said.
Nuriev reminded that presidential elections took place in February 2024, followed by the process of forming the government. “Several members of the government are part of the pardon commission. Therefore, the government formation process made it impossible to hold commission sessions simultaneously,” he concluded.
“The number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan has approached 300”
Since May of last year, the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan has reached the highest level in the past 20 years and has approached 300, says Rufat Safarov, co-founder of the human rights organization “Defense line.”
“We are witnessing arrests not just every quarter or month, but almost every day… There are still many arbitrarily detained prisoners unrelated to politics. From this perspective, it should be in the interest of the Azerbaijani authorities to periodically release such individuals through pardons and amnesties,” Safarov told Radio Liberty.
However, according to the lawyer, presidential pardons do not address the root of the problem, as not all political prisoners are released:
“Pardon decrees are signed, but shortly afterward, the vacancies left by released political prisoners are filled by others. It’s like a legal manipulation, the government’s manipulation of society’s sentiments.”
Official sources in Azerbaijan reject allegations of the existence of political prisoners in the country. According to them, individuals included in lists of political prisoners are held accountable solely for the offenses they committed.
