Yesterday, December 29, President Aliyev pardoned 87 prisoners. The list included the names of ten political prisoners.
Secretary General Thorbjoern Jagland welcomed release but said many names remain in jail.
"The decree signed by the President of Azerbaijan includes 10 names from the 'prisoners list' submitted by human rights defenders. This is a step in the right direction. However, there are still many names on the list that need to be urgently considered."
"Some well-known human rights defenders have been added to the list in the recent months. The Council of Europe will continue its efforts to help release further prisoners in Azerbaijan in line with the letter and spirit of recent judgements of the European Court of Human Rights".
In November, Jagland applauded another list of pardoned prisoners, which included four human rights defenders.