PRESS-RELEASE, March 22, 2018
The Working Group (WG) on Unified List of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan presents updated Unified
List of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan.
The list includes 144 names. Based on documents obtained, court observations and interviews, The Woking Group has already recognized 142 of them as people arrested with political motivation -political prisoners. 2 cases remain Under Monitoring, as their documents have not been available for studying and informed decision.
The Group notes growing number of those arrested for exercising their fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, as well as continuing persecution of the government against peaceful believers.
142 confirmed cases of political prisoners include:
– 11 journalists and bloggers,
– 2 poets and writers,
– 1 human rights defender,
– 12 civil and political activists,
– 83 religious activists and
– 3 life prisoners.
– 15 persons arrested in the relation to social protests (including 1 person arrested for Ismayilli protests in 2013, 4 persons arrested for Mingachevir protests in 2015, 10 persons arrested for Siyazan protests in 2016),
– 2 former government officials,
– 3 political hostages,
– 10 Said Dadashbayli and those arrested with him.
Note: Five prisoners are expected to be released in April and May due to completion of their prison terms.
