President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree, pardoning a number of prisoners ahead of the New Year and Solidarity Day of Azerbaijanis, including at least two members of the opposition youth group Nida.
The pardoned will include Nida members Uzeyir Mammadli and Zaur Qurbanli, as well as journalists Avaz Zeynalli and Sardar Alibayli, musavat.com reported, citing human rights advocate Saida Qocamanli.
Qocamanli said only 10 out of 27 prisoners her group asked the president to pardon will be freed.
The Nida members were arrested in 2012 after a series of demonstrations in Baku against non-combat deaths in the army. They were accused of disrupting public order and damaging private property.
The Nida members and the journalists were listed by international rights watchdogs as political prisoners.
ANN.Az
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