Twenty PACE deputies have proposed a resolution on the increase in the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, Turan reported.

The growing persecution of journalists, human rights defenders, and opposition activists in Azerbaijan, the increase in the number of political prisoners is alarming," reads the document signed by 20 parliamentarians from 13 countries. The initiator was an Italian MP Maurizio Buccarella.

The document mentions the arrest of journalist Avaz Zeynalli and human rights lawyer Elchin Sadigov. The authorities ignored the call of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, to immediately release Zeynalli and Sadygov.

In mid-2022, blogger Abid Gafarov was imprisoned on trumped-up charges of defamation.  

Three criminal cases were opened against oppositionist Ali Aliyev on the same charge. In May 2022, blogger Rashad Ramazanov was arrested on trumped-up charges. The Parliamentary Assembly should carefully review and examine the existing cases of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, the document says.

The petition believes that the Assembly should call on the Azerbaijani government to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights and release all political prisoners. It is yet unknown when the draft resolution will be discussed in the PACE, the media reports.