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Many analysts think that amnesty in Azerbaijan is a kind of a concession ahead of President IlhamAliyev’s upcoming visit to the US, where Congress is considering sanctions against senior regime figures, Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) reportshttps://iwpr.net/global-voices/explaining-azerbaijans-surprise-prisoner.

According to the report, NIDA board member UlviHasanli said that while he was delighted by the release of his colleagues, much more remained to be done. “There is a need for fundamental changes in the country, freedom of assembly, the media … Arresting people on false charges, then to ‘pardon’ them after five to six years and release them cannot be considered an example of humanitarianism,” Hasanli told IWPR.

AkifGurbanov, head of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI), theorized that Aliyev had pardoned the political prisoners to avoid Azerbaijan being hit by sanctions. “On March 31, IlhamAliyev is to take part in the [nuclear] security summit, which takes place in America. The president could not go to such an important event ‘empty-handed’ because the results could be very bad for the authorities.  Therefore, IlhamAliyev decided to show an act of ‘humanitarianism’ and release a number of political prisoners,” Gurbanov thinks.

Meanwhile, according to Turannews agency, the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety also reported a similar statement. The statement points out that despite the release of a limited number of political prisoners, many activists are still imprisoned, and their on-going arrests belittle the importance of the latest amnesty.

“The amnesty carried out against the backdrop of systematical human rights violations cannot be considered a step forward.Groundless arrests and politically motivated trials continue. By releasing only 15 of tens of unfairly condemned activists, the authorities are preparing places in jails for new political prisoners. It is necessary to put an end to the never-ending cycle of releasing and condemning new political prisoners,”EminHuseynov, head of IRFS said.

At the same time, IRFS welcomed the decision of the ECHR on human rights defender RasulJafarov’s case and considered it a timely reminder of the deepening political crisis in Azerbaijan.

According to the statement, with the amnesty of the journalists and human rights defenders, the Azerbaijani authorities attempt toincrease the chances of a receptionat the White House in frameworks of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington. The amnesty came four months afterCongressman Christopher Smith introduced alegislative billoffering toimpose visa sanctions against high-ranking Azerbaijani officials involved in human rights violation, as well as against their family members, and other people.

It is particularly emphasized in the statement that people, who challenged the legality of IlhamAliyev’s election for the third presidential term, became the target of the authorities. In February 2013, head of REAL movement,IlgarMammadov, was arrested; he had considered the nomination of Aliyev for the third presidential term anti-constitutional and anti-democratic. Although the ECHR made a decision on the necessity of Mammadov’s release two years ago, he is still imprisoned.

Human rights defender IntigamAliyev brought dozens of applications in the ECHR, which questioned the legitimacy of Azerbaijan’s judicial authorities, and that is why he became the victim of the regime. Journalist Khadija Ismayilovawas also arrested; she investigated and exposed the multi-billion corruption frauds of Azerbaijan’s political elite.

Besides, it is also stated that civil society activists, who avoided arrests, faced intolerable conditions. Since mid 2014, they have failed to carry out projects in the field of civil society, to hold public discussions, to receive grants and donations. Dozens of politically motivated and criminal cases against NGOs still go on in the Ministry of Taxes, Public Prosecutor’s Office, and in the Ministry of Justice. Bank accounts of many human rights defenders and journalists are blocked,some face high penalties orare banned from leavingthe country.

According to the statement, the parliament of Azerbaijan is currently discussing the issue of adopting amendment in the legislation, which wouldallow not to carry out the decisions of the EUHR.

The Institute for Freedom and Safety urgesthe international community to strengthen the pressure on the authorities with the aim of releasing the other political prisoners.The IRFS also calls on international financial institutes not to believe the authorities’ assurances about the strengthened fight against corruption and increased transparency, as the credits will be directed towards the strengthening of the authoritarian regime amidthe absence of reforms.

“The IRFS calls on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to send a delegation to Azerbaijan and to check how many NGOs can take part in the process of government reporting. In case of failure of carrying out the responsibilities, serious sanctions should be applied, up to excluding from EITI. The IRFS calls on the Secretary General and the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to assess how the country carries out its responsibilities in the frameworks of the European Convention on Human Rights and to achieve the accomplishment of decisions of the EUHR on Mammadov’s case. If the authorities refuse to dialogue, the IRFS will support the sanctions against the Azerbaijani government,” the statement reads.

According to another report of the news agency, the government of France also reacted to the amnesty in Azerbaijan. “We hope that this gesture will be accompanied by more measures of releasing people, who are imprisoned or sentenced conditionally because of their political activities, and this will promote a general movement towards strengthening legality,”the embassy of France in Baku said as cited by Turan.

The Economist writes http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21695278-oil-rich-autocracy-tries-polish-its-image-ahead-washington-summit-azerbaijan-frees-14that the authoritarian president of oil-rich Azerbaijan tries to polish its image ahead of a Washington summit releasing 14 political prisoners.
“Local observers chalk it up to the low price of oil, Azerbaijan’s chief export. MrAliyev, they think, is running short of the cash he normally uses to buy off foreign critics through ‘caviar diplomacy’,” the Economist highlights.

On March 17, Azerbaijan’s President IlhamAliyev signed a decree of pardon, due to which a part of the almost 100 political prisoners was released. Rashad Hasanov, Mohammed Azizov, RashadatAkhundov, activists of the movement NIDA; TofigYagublu and YadigarSadigli, deputy chairmen of the party Musavat; rights defenders RasulJafarov, TalehKhasmammadov, AnarMammadli and HilalMammadov; oppositionist NeimatPanahli; blogger Omar Mammadov; SirajKarimli, who was recognized a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International; AkifMuradverdiyev, former head of the Executive Office of the President; and the journalist ParvizHashimliare among the pardoned prisoners.