April 5, 2002 - 00:01 AMT
«AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL» INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT STATES ABOUT HUNDREDS OF POLITICAL PRISONERS IN AZERBAIJAN
«Amnesty International» international organization for human rights has issued a report regarding human rights in different countries of the world. The document states that at least 17 convicts were considered political prisoners in Azerbaijan. Some of them were released under the CE pressure but Natik Efendiyev, Iskander Hamidov, Alikram Gummatov, Suret Huseynov and Rahim Gaziyev are in the jail as before. The report also states that there are violations of human rights in many other cases and people condemned according to the similar cases also can be considered political prisoners. It is also noted that according to materials of local organizations for human rights, there are hundreds of political prisoners in Azerbaijan. The document states there are also facts of tortures, cruel treatment, denial of medical care and prohibition of meetings with relatives in prisons. Besides, legal prosecutions of journalists criticizing the government continue.