Human Right Watch: Human Rights Situation in Azerbaijan Remains Depressing

Baku / 1/18/19 / Turan: Human Rights Watch has published a report. The part of the document concerning Azerbaijan states that the human rights situation in the country is depressing and there are no improvements.

At the same time, it is noted that in April 2018, Ilham Aliyev was elected President for the fourth time during elections, which were recognized by international observers as noncompetitive and were held in an atmosphere of limited political environment and fundamental freedoms.

The authors of the study indicate that in Azerbaijan at least 143 political and religious activists, human rights activists, bloggers and journalists are illegally detained in prisons.

Laws continue to restrict the activities of independent institutions of civil society.

Although Azerbaijan"s international partners have criticized human rights violations, they have not set the condition of respect for fundamental freedoms by the authorities for improving the relations.

The report also points out restrictions of the freedom of media, blocking websites, and increasing pressure on lawyers.

Torture practices in prisons are also condemned. -16D-