HRW Calls on European Leaders to Demand Release of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan
The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch 100 days before the start of the European Games demanded the release of arrested civil society activists and journalists in Azerbaijan.
"Attacks of the government on journalists, human rights defenders and activists are a challenge to the spirit and letter of the principles of the Olympic Charter on press freedom and human dignity," said the Director of HRW for Europe and Central Asia Jane Buchanan.
Human Rights Watch called on European leaders to warn Baku that in case of not releasing the arrested opposition leaders, they would not send high-level delegations to the Games.
"Olympic committees and national committees of the European countries should make it clear to Baku that it mocks the Olympic ideal and it must release prisoner activists and journalists and remove the severe restrictions on the media and freedom of speech," the statement reads.
The organization also distributed a slideshow history of arrests of human rights activists and journalists in Azerbaijan in recent years. -16D-
Politics
-
This year, the laureate of the annual Nargiz Prize, awarded for efforts in the fight for democracy, was Akif Gurbanov, chairman of the board of the Resplatforma (Platform of the III Republic) movement, who is under arrest.
-
The U.S. will prohibit the issuing of visas for nearly a dozen more individuals responsible for undermining democracy in Georgia, bringing the total number to over 100, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
-
The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has expressed condolences to the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, following the tragic incident in the city of Magdeburg. "We are deeply shocked by the news of the deaths and injuries resulting from the tragic incident that took place at the Christmas market in Magdeburg," the message reads.
-
By the order of the head of state, Vusal Aslanov has been appointed Chairman of the Baku Metro CJSC.
Leave a review