![Group of Socialists & Democrats in the European Parliament called EU to suspend negotiations with Baku](https://turan.az/resized/media/2019/main/102300022581-750-500-resize.webp)
Group of Socialists & Democrats in the European Parliament called EU to suspend negotiations with Baku
Baku/23.10.19/Turan: Last weekend Azerbaijani authorities violently dispersed peaceful rallies organised by the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF), an umbrella organisation of opposition parties, and civil society groups protesting against gender violence. Dozens of participants were detained, beaten and otherwise mistreated, including Ali Kerimli, the leader of the opposition People's Front.
Kati Piri, the S&D vice-president responsible for foreign affairs, said:
"This latest violent crackdown is yet more evidence of the blatant contempt the Aliyev regime has for the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and assembly, and the country's international commitments. To add to that, the violence was accompanied by a state-run smear campaign against the opposition and civil society activists, including an unprecedented attack on the EU diplomats fulfilling their professional tasks.
"Repression against the women activists who gathered peacefully to draw attention to gender violence in particular, exposes the hollowness and hypocrisy of the Azerbaijani government's professed commitment to gender equality."
S&D coordinator on foreign affairs, Tonino Picula, added:
"We urge the High Representative Federica Mogherini and the European Commission to suspend further negotiations on the new agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan until the Azerbaijani government commits itself fully to the respect of fundamental rights.
"Azerbaijan authorities must finally respect freedom of assembly, stop dismantling civil society and release all peaceful protesters, human rights activists or political prisoners that remain in detention." -16D-
Politics
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Armenia is not against the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, but does not consider it appropriate to discuss this issue now. "In the context of peace, we consider it possible to make a decision on the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group. When peace is an established fact, the existence of such a format may raise questions," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a press conference today. "The whole question is about the timing, we need to understand how effectively and correctly to turn such topics into a subject of discussion right now," the Armenian Prime Minister added.
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He expressed his willingness to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the border between the two countries. "A meeting with Ilham Aliyev could take place at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. I am open to such a format," Pashinyan said at a press conference today. According to Pashinyan, Armenia recently presented another proposal for a peace treaty to Azerbaijan.
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On August 31, Azerbaijan observes a "day of silence" before the Sunday’s early parliamentary elections for the unicameral Milli Majlis. All electoral campaigning is prohibited 24 hours before the voting. The early elections were initiated by the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party. This decision was motivated by the overlap of the scheduled elections in November with the global UN forum - the COP20 climate conference taking place in Baku.
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On August 30, at approximately 22:55, the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant in Metsamor was disconnected from the country's power grid, as reported by the Armenian Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure. The shutdown was caused by a lightning strike, which triggered the plant's safety systems to switch the station to a safe shutdown mode. Currently, the plant's staff is working on restarting the facility.
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