Baku/30.01.18/Turan: PEN International and PEN Canada are concerned about reprisals by the Azerbaijani authorities against the relatives of Sahib Teymurov.
"We call on the authorities of Azerbaijan to release Tahir Teymurov immediately. We believe he is suffering reprisals from the authorities because they are concerned by Sahib Teymurov"s criticism of the government and are not able to act against him. Sahib Teymurov has only exercised his right to peaceful expression", said Salil Tripathi, chairperson of PEN International"s Writers in Prison Committee. "In addition, there must be a swift and effective investigation into Tahir Teymurov"s disappearance, as well as the allegations of torture or ill-treatment during this time."
Sahib Teymurov, a human rights defender from Azerbaijan who is currently a refugee in Canada, posted a message critical of the Aliyev regime on Facebook on December 3, 2017. On December 7, several of Teymurov"s relatives living in Azerbaijan were detained by the police and forced to call him and ask that he delete the impugned message, or else they would face the consequences. Teymurov refused to delete the message and the following day, his step-brother Tahir Teymurov disappeared. His whereabouts remained unknown until 21 December, when it was confirmed by the authorities that he is under detention and faces narcotics-related charges for which he faces 5 to 12 years" imprisonment if found guilty. Tahir Teymurov"s relatives allege that he has been tortured during the period of his disappearance. -0----
Politics
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On 23 November at the COP29 climate conference in Baku, eco-activists from different countries held a protest action against the failure of countries to agree on climate finance.
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On the eve of the closing of the COP29 climate conference in Baku, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has drawn attention to the criminal cases of journalists detained in Azerbaijan.
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Negotiations at the 29th session of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Baku have been extended until November 24, a source in the UNFCCC Secretariat told the Turan news agency. According to the source, participants aim to finalize and sign the concluding documents by that date.
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According to the Turkish newspaper Sabah, officials from the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office's Anti-Smuggling Unit have detained an Azerbaijani citizen with a large shipment of gold. The detention took place near the Vadi İstanbul shopping center in the Sarıyer district, where a taxi was stopped. During the search, 70 kg of gold was found. The Azerbaijani citizen in the vehicle claimed ownership of the cargo and also stated that he was a diplomat. The investigation by the prosecutor's office is ongoing, reports Sabah newspaper. The media outlet does not disclose the name of the "diplomat," only his initials – M.G.Ş. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declined to comment on the situation.
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