Count of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reaches 357

Within the last two months, the list of Azerbaijani political prisoners was added with 17 new names; and the total number of human rights defenders in this list has reached 357 persons. The list was compiled by Leyla Yunus, Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, and Elshan Gasanov, the head of the Centre for Monitoring Political Prisoners.

Elshan Gasanov, who is also a co-coordinator of the Union for Political Prisoners’ Freedom, has noted that in 2024, for the first time since early 2000s, the count of Azeri political prisoners exceeded 300 persons.

"Over the past two months ... a group of social protesters has appeared on the list again. In particular, 13 people were arrested in connection with the unrests in the Imishli District, which broke out after a fatal road accident with children due to the fault of the driver of a traffic police car," Mr Gasanov has added.

According to his story, five persons were removed from the list: the journalist Shamo Eminov; Shamil Gasanov, a member of the Muslim Unity Movement; believers Bakhtiyar Gadjiev and Bakhruz Gadjiev; and Suleiman Gadjiev, a figurant in the so-called “Terter Case” were released.

The new persons in the list are the journalists Farid Ismailov, Shamshad Aga and Shakhnaz Beilyargyzy. Besides, the list was replenished with the oppositionists Ibragim Khudiev and Nidjad Ibragimov.

"Ibragim Khudiev is a satirical poet ... In his verses, he ridiculed bureaucrats. He was arrested on a trumped-up drug case," Elshan Gasanov has explained.

He has also reported the inclusion of Mirkhafiz Djafarzade, a Talysh activist, into the list, who was an active defender of the Talysh language and thus attracted the attention of special agents. He was accused of treason and inciting hatred.

The list was also added with five believers arrested in drug cases. "These people helped families of other arrested believers and ended up behind bars themselves," Mr Gasanov has noted.

The list also includes five people convicted within the "Terter Case," one of whom was sentenced to life imprisonment.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 12, 2025 at 05:24 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.