OSCE PA President welcomes dropping of criminal proceedings against Mehman Huseynov
Copenhagen/23.01.19/Turan: OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli (Georgia) today welcomed reports from Azerbaijan that the General Prosecutor"s Office has terminated a criminal case against anti-corruption blogger and chair of the media NGO Institute for Reporters" Freedom and Safety Mehman Huseynov. Huseynov has been detained on defamation charges since March 2017 and in December 2018, new charges were initiated against him that could have extended his imprisonment by seven years.
"I am happy that the new charges against Mr. Huseynov have been dropped and that he can once again look forward to his expected release date in early March," President Tsereteli said. "When I visited Mr. Huseynov and observed his prison conditions just under a year ago, I expressed hope that he would be released soon. Therefore, the initiation of new charges against him in December was a cause for deep concern and I am relieved that these criminal proceedings have been terminated. I have followed his case closely and regularly raised it in my discussions with parliamentary colleagues and Azerbaijani authorities, including President Aliyev, and am pleased that he has paid personal attention to this case."
Tsereteli added that democratic reforms in Azerbaijan, particularly on freedom of the media and on creating conditions to maximize the contribution of civil society, should continue.
Last week, the Chair of the OSCE PA"s human rights committee, Margareta Kiener Nellen (MP, Switzerland), raised concerns over Huseynov"s treatment and reiterated the call by OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir for the authorities to drop new criminal charges brought against him. -02D-
Politics
-
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova has decided to unilaterally terminate the Moldovan-Russian agreement from 1998 on the creation and operation of cultural centers.
-
By the order of the head of state, Rufat Mahmud has been appointed the new head of the historical and architectural reserve "Icheri Sheher" – the historic center of Baku.
-
On February 13, the Appeal Court did not satisfy the defense's appeal against the decision of the Khatai Court regarding the arrest of journalist Shahnaz Beylargizi. According to the lawyer, the journalist herself did not participate in the trial due to poor health. The defense intends to submit a petition to replace the arrest with house arrest.
-
Azerbaijan will limit 'Sputnik Azerbaijan' and 'BBC News Azərbaycanca' editorial offices. This was reported by the country's pro-government media on 13 February, citing an informed source.
Leave a review