Presidential Pardon Issued in Azerbaijan, but Political Prisoners Excluded Once Again

Ilham Aliyev

On May 26, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan signed a decree pardoning 220 individuals ahead of the country's Independence Day celebrations. While the move led to the release or sentence reduction of many inmates, human rights advocates and political observers note that the decree once again excluded all individuals recognized as political prisoners.

According to the official decree, 175 prisoners were released from the remainder of their prison sentences, and the unserved portion of sentences for 25 others was reduced by half. One individual included in the pardon had previously received a fine instead of imprisonment.

Among those pardoned is French national Theo Clerc Hugo, born in 1986, who had been sentenced to three years in prison by the Narimanov District Court in September 2024. Hugo was convicted for illegally entering a metro tunnel in Baku and painting graffiti on trains. Through his lawyer, Hugo denied having any hooligan intent. His case sparked diplomatic concern, with France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemning his arrest as "unfounded and clearly discriminatory."

In total, 16 foreign nationals were included in the decree. These include five citizens from Iran, four from Russia, two from Georgia, two from Pakistan, and one each from France, Turkey, and Afghanistan.

However, no individuals recognized as political prisoners were included in the pardon list. According to local and international human rights organizations, over 360 political prisoners are currently being held in Azerbaijan. These include journalists, opposition activists, and religious figures who, according to advocacy groups, were jailed for their political beliefs or civic activism.

Zafar Ahmadov, chairman of the Coordination Center of Political Prisoners’ Families, expressed disappointment in an interview with Meydan TV:

“Except for the Frenchman, not a single political prisoner was included. What was the point of this pardon? No one knows. Perhaps it was signed just for show. This only confirms that the Azerbaijani authorities are not only unprepared for legal and political reforms, but also lack the will. We didn’t expect anything different.”

In response, Arzukhan Alizadeh, deputy chair of the National Assembly’s Human Rights Committee, dismissed the criticism as baseless. Speaking to Pravda.az, she stated:

“The notion that people considered political prisoners by certain radical groups were imprisoned due to their political activities is questionable. Claiming that such individuals were left out of the pardon list is groundless. We must not discriminate between people. Rather than adopting a divisive approach, we should celebrate the fact that people are being released.”

This year’s pardon mirrors a similar decree issued in 2024, also signed on the eve of Independence Day. That decree applied to 154 prisoners, but similarly excluded political prisoners. Only eight individuals out of 182 recognized political prisoners were pardoned in 2023.

Despite repeated calls from human rights organizations, the Azerbaijani government continues to reject the existence of political prisoners in the country, insisting that all convictions are based solely on criminal acts, not political views or affiliations.