Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry considers EU calls to release political prisoners as "falsification"

Azerbaijan rejects the statement of the spokesperson of the EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Service of 29 May.

"The statement of the EU representative on the state of human rights in Azerbaijan is not only far from reality, but is full of outright falsifications", Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Ayhan Hajizadeh said in a commentary.

To his thinking, the issue is about the persons detained in criminal cases of illegal financing.
"Instead of waiting for the results of criminal cases and investigations, as well as court decisions, the EU calls for Azerbaijan to release the accused directly contradict legal procedures."

Claims of deprivation of medical and other assistance to detainees have no basis.

"Unjustified public demands by the EU to pardon certain individuals based on the political preferences of a number of European countries and politicians call into question Europe's genuine commitment to the rule of law. Azerbaijan has sufficient experience, knowledge, wisdom in this field, so it does not need binding advice and instructions," Hajizadeh said.

"Azerbaijan will continue to fulfill its international legal obligations and calls on certain EU institutions to pay attention to gross human rights violations on the territory of the EU and to stop interference and provocations against Azerbaijan," the Foreign Ministry spokesman writes.