Baku / 02.08.18 / Turan: Azerbaijan is the leader in terms of the number of political prisoners in Europe. Currently there are more than 160 political prisoners in the country. This was stated in an interview with the program Chetin Sual (Difficult Question) of Turan News Agency by the coordinator of the Center for the Protection of Political Prisoners Ogtay Gulaliyev.
According to him, this problem is constantly in the focus of attention of the international democratic community and official Baku is under pressure.
In his opinion, the authorities are doomed to solve this issue cardinally. The information that the authorities will take decisive steps in this direction in the near future seems to be truthful.
The authorities made many promises to international structures, but they did not fully implement them. Now the issue is approaching the red line, after which Baku may face serious problems with the democratic community, he believes.
According to the human rights activist, the problem of political prisoners is connected with the authoritarian essence of power. People are persecuted for political views, criticism of the government, dissent, there is no free press and television in the country, freedom of expression and assembly is severely limited, and people are thrown into prison on false accusations. At the root of all these repressions is the instinct of self-preservation of the ruling regime.
"But I think that the authorities themselves understand that throwing innocent people in jails, it is impossible to remain in control for a long time. The authorities will have to change their policies. The world is changing, the region is changing, and people are changing. We must look ahead and make compromises," Gulaliyev said.
In the country, fundamental rights must be restored. They should be guaranteed by independent courts, civil society revived, political reforms implemented, democratic elections held, and real integration in the Western world provided. -06D-
Difficult question
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