On Tuesday 19 January the Open Society European Policy Institute with the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) to arrange an expert discussions named "Justice Behind Bars: The Persecution of Civil Society in Azerbaijan."
Topics of discussion are: presentation of a new report published by IPHR, which highlights the abuse of the criminal justice system during the current unprecedented civil society crackdown in Azerbaijan, in the course of which dozens of human rights defenders, journalists and other critical voices have been imprisoned and key human rights organizations forced to suspend their activities. The report, “Justice behind bars: The persecution of civil society in Azerbaijan” provides a detailed analysis of the criminal cases against seven leading civil society figures: Anar Mammadli; Rasul Jafarov; Intigam Aliev; Leyla and Arif Yunus; Emin Huseynov; and Khadija Ismayilova.
Group of journalists and civil society activist from Azerbaijan will attend at the discussions.
The speakers are: Ramute Remezaite, Attorney, European Human Rights Advocacy Center
Kirill Koroteev, Legal Director, Human Rights Center Memorial Emin Milli, Director, Meydan TV Gulnara Akhundova, Programme Manager, Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (ECCA), International Media Support Simon Papuashvili (Moderator), Project Coordinator, International Partnership for Human Rights.-02D-
Politics
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Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan rejected Ilham Aliyev's demands for Yerevan to stop acquiring weapons. "Armenia has acquired and will continue to acquire weapons solely for the purpose of self-defense. Over 200 square kilometers of our sovereign territory is under the control of Azerbaijan. And even to regain these territories, we do not intend to consider military action, but rather a process of demarcation. So, we are buying weapons and have no intention of sending them back," he stated.
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On January 8, Ilham Aliyev received the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Akbar Ahmadian. Ahmadian conveyed greetings from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to Aliyev. Aliyev asked Ahmadian to convey his reciprocal greetings.
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On November 8, a hearing took place in the Sabail District Court regarding the criminal case of Aziz Orudjov, the head of Kanal-13. During the session, Orudjov's lawyers requested that his pre-trial detention be changed to house arrest. However, the request was not granted. The prosecutor then announced the indictment. Orudjov denied the charges against him. The next court session is scheduled for January 24.
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On January 8, President Ilham Aliyev received Magdalena Grono, the European Union’s Special Representative for the South Caucasus, according to the Azerbaijani President's press service. Grono expressed condolences over the AZAL plane crash and expressed hope that all the causes of the crash would be thoroughly investigated. Noting that Azerbaijan is an important partner for the European Union, Grono emphasized that the EU is interested in ensuring sustainable stability in the South Caucasus region. She highlighted the importance of dialogue between the EU and Azerbaijan, noting Azerbaijan's significant contribution to Europe's energy security.
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