The U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy and Human Rights, Thomas Melia, will arrive in Azerbaijan next week to discuss the situation in the sphere of democracy and human rights, Turan was told by diplomatic sources. This information was confirmed by the U.S. Embassy, ??which has not yet issued an official report on the visit.
Last time Thomas Melia visited Azerbaijan in December 2012. During the visit, he met with President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, the opposition and civil society.
At the final press conference in Baku on December 11 a senior official said that "in 2013 presidential elections will take place, and now we are observing the obligation of democracy are being performed."
He expressed a concern of the U.S. government with the state of affairs in the field of freedom of speech, assembly, human rights and democracy in Azerbaijan.
After the December visit of Thomas Melia, the situation with human rights and freedoms has worsened. Since the beginning of this year dozens of activists of civil society have been arrested, political freedom have been more restricted, and supervision of secret services has strengthened.-0-
Politics
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On November 26, the Baku Court of Appeals reviewed the appeal of human rights defender Anar Mammadli, who contested the extension of his detention. Mammadli's lawyer, Javad Javadov, stated that Mammadli argued the extension of his pre-trial detention was unfounded and linked the criminal prosecution to his human rights activities, Turan reported.
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On November 26, a group of reserve officers from the Nakhchivan special forces held a protest near the Azerbaijani presidential administration. The protesters participated in the 44-day war and were discharged after sustaining injuries. They claim that the payments they are entitled to have not been provided.
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On November 26, the Baku Court of Appeals heard a complaint regarding the extension of the detention of former diplomat Emin Ibrahimov. During the hearing, the investigator requested that the complaint be rejected, while Ibrahimov's lawyer, Aghil Laidj, pointed out the lack of grounds for keeping Ibrahimov in custody.
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Arrested economist Fazil Gasimov has reportedly faced pressure after protesting the interruption of a phone call with his family on November 16. "The phone call was cut off, and Fazil demanded that the connection be restored. Then, Jalal Alizadeh, a detention center officer, along with his colleagues, forcibly removed Fazil from the phone room in the medical unit of the facility, tearing his jacket and dragging him across the floor before throwing him into a cell.
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