Washington D.C. /03.05.18/Turan: The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, announced the briefing on Democracy Deferred: the State of Elections and Fundamental Freedoms in Azerbaijan. It will be held on May 9.
The statement says that "after amending the constitution to extend the length of a presidential term and abolish term limits altogether, Azerbaijan"s ruler since 2003, Ilham Aliyev, recently prevailed in elections that secured his position until 2025. International election observers described this vote as "lack[ing] genuine competition" given the country"s "restrictive political environment and...legal framework that curtails fundamental rights and freedoms."
The presidential election took place after a year of growing concern over the state of fundamental freedoms in Azerbaijan. In March 2017, the government blocked nearly all remaining major sources of independent news; it continues to harass and detain independent journalists. That same month, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative suspended Azerbaijan"s membership over the government"s onerous regulation of civil society organizations. In December 2017, the Council of Europe began exploring unprecedented punitive measures against Azerbaijan for flouting a European Court of Human Rights ruling ordering the release of former presidential candidate Ilgar Mammadov, jailed since 2013.
As Azerbaijan approaches 100 years of independence in May, the Helsinki Commission will examine these recent developments and the country"s implementation of its freely undertaken human rights and democracy commitments."
The following panelists are scheduled to participate:
Audrey L. Altstadt, Professor of History, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Emin Milli, Director, Meydan TV
Maran Turner, Executive Director, Freedom Now.
Additional panelists may be added. -16D-
Politics
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Under the agreement between Azerbaijan and the European Union on the readmission of persons residing without permission, 37 Azerbaijani citizens were returned from Germany on November 26.
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Six people died on the evening of November 27 as a result of a collision between two cars on a section of the Baku-Gazakh highway passing through the Tovuz region.
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Official Baku has condemned the visit of Polish President Andrzej Duda to the Azerbaijan-Armenia border during his official visit to Armenia. "The visit of Polish President Andrzej Duda to the to Armenia-Azerbaijan border area in the company of members of the EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA), unfortunately, is another demonstration of anti-Azerbaijani policy of different EU member countries and European institutions. We deeply regret that President of the country which is officially a “strategic partner” of Azerbaijan has participated in the unacceptable diplomatic “binocular show” leading to the aggravation of relations between Azerbaijan and Poland,”" reads the statement on the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ account on X (formerly Twitter).
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According to the “Times of India”, the first batch of “Pinaka” missile systems has been delivered to Armenia.
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