The Chairperson of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), and the OSCE PA Special Representative on the South Caucasus, Kristian Vigenin (MP, Bulgaria), today welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan to release on probation Intigam Aliyev, a prominent human rights lawyer.
“Intigam Aliyev’s release is an important and positive step for human rights in Azerbaijan, for Mr. Aliyev’s own sake and for the sake of the many persons whom he continues to defend, including in the European Court of Human Rights. I hope that he will now be able to return to his work of standing up for the civil liberties of Azerbaijan’s citizens. We now await additional steps to enable the full release and rehabilitation of other prisoners of conscience in the country,” Chairperson Santos said.
Aliyev, the head of Azerbaijan’s Legal Education Society, was sentenced in April 2015 on financial and other charges which were widely viewed as politically motivated.
His release on probation follows a decree issued by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on 17 March that pardoned 148 individuals serving jail terms, including human rights defenders, activists, journalists and members of political parties. OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) and Chairperson Santos welcomed the development.
“I regard Intigam Aliyev’s release, coming so soon after the pardon decree, as an indication that the government of Azerbaijan is ready to engage again not only with the international community, but with its own people,” Special Representative Vigenin said.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues from Azerbaijan to create conditions that welcome, not punish, alternative or critical voices. Hopefully, this renewed spirit of engagement can also lead to increased work by the OSCE in Azerbaijan, so that the Organization can again help the country fulfill its OSCE commitments,” he said.
The work of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku was discontinued in July 2015. -02D-
Politics
-
A new draft agreement on financing climate programs, unveiled at the 29th session of the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP29), proposes allocating at least $1.3 trillion (€1.23 trillion) annually for climate protection measures and adaptation to the impact of climate change, according to a 34-page document released on Wednesday. The draft, developed with input from developing nations, aims to address the needs of the world's poorest countries, though several contentious issues remain unresolved, AFP reported.
-
On November 13, representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Afghan Taliban held talks in Baku as part of the COP29 conference. According to a report by Turan correspondent, the discussions took place behind closed doors and lasted for over an hour. No statements were made to the press following the meeting. Furthermore, conference security prevented journalists from asking questions to the meeting participants.
-
Kichikhanim Khalilova, the wife of arrested public activist and first-group disabled person, Famil Khalilov, reported being followed during her time at the COP29 conference on November 13. She had been accredited in the "Green Zone" as a civil rights activist. From the moment she entered the conference area, a young man began to follow her.
-
The imprisoned journalists of Abzas Media have had their phone calls with relatives reduced from 15 minutes to just 2 minutes. This restriction is reportedly linked to the ongoing international climate conference COP29 in Baku.
Leave a review