Human Rights Club reveals shocking increase of political prisoners in Azerbaijan

One week before the Azerbaijani presidential election, the Human Rights Club has released a new list, revealing there are now 142 political prisoners in the country. This is the only recent research into the situation of political prisoners in Azerbaijan– it shows the number of prisoners has risen sharply since the defeat of a January 2013 Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on “The follow-up to the issue of political prisoners in Azerbaijan”.

On October 1 at the  European Court of Human Rights, Strasbourg 09:00 – 09:30 Azerbaijani and European activists will be handcuffed and gagged outside to highlight the serious situation of political prisoners in Azerbaijan. will be carrying pictures of some of the prisoners.

Human Rights Club, Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety, Platform, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights will will be carrying pictures of some of the prisoners.

From 13:00-14:00  of the same day at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will be representation of the report: Pre-Election Crackdown, Human Rights in Azerbaijan ( Auditorium 3, Palais de l’Europe)

Co-Sponsors of the report are: Robert Biedroń (Poland), Mailis Reps (Estonia), Paul Flynn (UK)

Speakers include: Nils Muižneiks, Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner; Emin Huseynov, Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety; Rasul Jafarov, Human Rights Club; Emma Hughes, Platform. -02D-