For two years, Azerbaijan has cracked down on civil society and independent media, detaining more than 100 people. However, on March 17, 2016, the government of Azerbaijan released more than a dozen political prisoners. The newly released prisoners include: journalist Rauf Mirgadirov; youth movement activist Rashadat Akhundov of N!DA; Mahammad Azizov of N!DA; Rashad Hasanov of N!DA; journalist Parviz Hashimli; human rights defender Rasul Jafarov; blogger Siraj Karimli. Read more about this news here.
Despite this welcoming development, many others are still in prison, including: Khadija Ismailovac, Intigam Aliyev, Seymur Hazi, Rauf Mirgadirov, Ilgar Mammadov, and Tofiq Yaqublu, among many others. Find more information on Azerbaijani political prisoners here.