The US Calls for Liberation of All Individuals Imprisoned for Exercising Their Fundamental Freedoms in Azerbaijan

Baku / 15.08.18 / Turan: The US welcomes the release of the opposition politician Ilgar Mammadov from imprisonment in Azerbaijan and calls on the authorities to remove accusations from him, as well as to release all other persons arrested for the implementation of fundamental freedoms.

This was stated by the Department of State spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

"The United States welcomes the decision of the Azerbaijani Court of Appeal to release Republican Alternative Party Chairman Ilgar Mammadov, whose conviction and imprisonment for over five years raised serious concerns about the rule of law in Azerbaijan. We call on the government to drop the charges against him, in keeping with its international obligations and the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights.

We urge the Azerbaijani authorities to release all other individuals who have been imprisoned for exercising their fundamental freedoms," Nauert said in the statement published on the website of the US Department of State.

According to local human rights defenders, there are at least 150 political prisoners in Azerbaijan. -06D--