The commission commented on the probability of pardoning Nikosayağı, Rashad Dagli and Ajdar Ol

In Azerbaijan, a pardon decree by President Ilham Aliyev is expected to be signed in May. In connection with this, meetings of the Pardon Commission under the head of state are being held. At previous meetings, the commission reviewed more than 400 appeals.

According to information circulating on social media, there are many well-known individuals among those who have applied for pardon - former officials, former heads of Executive Authority, including the ex-head of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection apparatus Ajdar Ol, meykhana performer Rashad Dagli, as well as blogger Nijat Shakirli, known by the pseudonym Nikosayağı.

How accurate are these claims? As stated by Alimamed Nuriyev, a member of the Pardon Commission under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in a comment to Bizim.Media, he does not have information about any famous personality being included in the pardon list.

"This issue falls under the constitutional powers of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Only the President determines who will be pardoned. Because the final decision belongs to the head of state. If someone says that so-and-so will be pardoned, this is a fundamentally incorrect approach," he said.

The website's interlocutor added that to date, the commission has reviewed more than 400 appeals and made appropriate decisions: "The task of the Pardon Commission is to review appeals submitted by the prisoners themselves, their relatives and lawyers, as well as petitions raised by deputies, NGOs, the ombudsman and other civil society representatives. Hundreds of applications are received. Each application is carefully studied, and conclusions are prepared for making appropriate decisions."

It should be noted that from 1995 to the present day, 70 pardon decrees have been signed in Azerbaijan. Of these documents, 33 were signed by national leader Heydar Aliyev, and 37 by President Ilham Aliyev. These pardon decrees have covered more than 10 thousand prisoners in total.

Recall that Ajdar Ol was found guilty under Articles 179.3.2 (misappropriation committed on a large scale), 308.2 (abuse of official powers), 311.3.1, 311.3.2 and 311.3.3 (receiving a bribe on a large scale) of the Criminal Code.

In April 2022, he was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months of imprisonment. In July 2022, by decision of the Baku Court of Appeal, his term was reduced to 8 years and 3 months.

Nijat Shakirli was sentenced to 5 years in prison in March last year. In August 2023, a Porsche car driven by Shakirli crashed into a truck. As a result of the accident, the blogger's friend Ruslan Mammadov, who was in the car, died on the spot. Shakirli himself received severe injuries, his right arm was amputated below the elbow.

By decision of the Baku Court for Serious Crimes in July 2023, Rashad Dagli was found guilty of murdering a neighbor and sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison.