2017 Will Be Difficult for Human Rights - Oktay Gyulaliyev

The presence of political prisoners in Azerbaijan is a reflection of the essence of the ruling regime in the country, which does not tolerate alternative opinions and criticism.

To validate their power, they persecute civil society activists, arrest opposition and human rights defenders. In an interview with the program Chetin Sual (Difficult Question) of the agency Turan this was said by the human rights activist and former political prisoner Oktay Gyulaliyev.

“Termination of this negative practice is impossible without profound political reform, and this requires political will of the authorities, which they do not have,” ​​he said.

The statements of the authorities about the readiness or carrying out such reforms are a fiction. They did not cancel reactionary amendments to the laws that made impossible the functioning of the country's independent NGOs.

The authorities have not canceled the arrest of bank accounts of NGOs and their leaders and did not allow the civil society to work with international donors, and the donors to return to Azerbaijan.

Criminal proceedings against 40 NGOs of Azerbaijan con tinue, while dozens of people are banned from leaving the country, including journalists.

"Against this background, expectations of 2017 in terms of democracy and human rights are very bad, and it will be very difficult", - he said.

Economic problems must be added to all this; because of them social tensions and discontent of the population are growing.

"Therefore, the authorities will be forced to intensify repression to keep what they call stability. Recent events confirm all this. Suffice it to recall the repression against the youth activists Giyas Ibrahimov and Bayram Mammadov, the trial on the Nardaran case, the behavior of the authorities in respect of refugees from Jabrail and other such actions of the authorities,” concluded Gyulaliyev. -03B-