Azerbaijani rights defenders disappointed by pardon decree

Among those pardoned by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan, there are only two political prisoners, but there are generals from the Ministry of National Security (MNS), convicted of dozens committed crimes, human rights defenders report.

"Authorities have released 176 persons, including two odious generals of the former Azerbaijani MNS, Subakhir Gurbanov and Akif Chovdarov, who had committed crimes. At the same time, there are more than a hundred innocent political prisoners in jails," said Emin Guseinov, the executive director of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS).

Let us remind you that Akif Chovdarov was found guilty of abuse of his service duties and depriving several people of their liberty with violence and weapons, including a pregnant woman and a minor, which resulted in the victim's death.

"Their crimes are classified as especially grave, and therefore they deserve no leniency," said Rasul Djafarov, the head of the Human Rights Club.

"We expect another pardoning by the Republic Day (May 28), and we hope that it will cover a large group of political prisoners," he said.

"They release Chovdarov, whose crimes has affected dozens of people, while innocent people, who can't even receive parcels from relatives, are doomed to torments during the coronavirus quarantine period," said Elshan Gasanov, the coordinator of the Union "For Freedom of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners".