Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

The European Union has hailed Azerbaijani president's pardoning more than 80 prisoners.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton and Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule made a statement on the amnesty announced by President Ilham Aliyev, the EU website said.

"We welcome the amnesty announced by President Ilham Aliyev, leading to the pardon and release of around 80 prisoners including at least four civil society activists," the statement said.

The EU officials noted that the relationship between the EU and Azerbaijan is important to the organization.

"The EU shares Azerbaijan's desire for a stable, secure and prosperous future, and is convinced that an open and inclusive national dialogue, in line with Azerbaijan's international commitments is the best path," the statement reads.

President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree pardoning 84 people on October 17.

After reviewing appeals of a number of prisoners, their family members, the Commissioner for Human Rights, organizations for human rights, addressed to the Azerbaijani president, the decision on pardon was made proceeding from the principles of humanism, by taking into account the personality, health condition, marital status of prisoners and their behavior while serving their sentence, according to the presidential decree.

Former members of the NIDA movement, Shahin Novruzlu, Elsever Mursalli and Bakhtiyar Guliyev, as well as the NGO's head Hasan Huseynli are among the pardoned prisoners.

Moreover, two Iranian citizens, two Georgian, one Turkish and one Pakistani citizen are also on the list of the pardoned.