Petition from Civil Society Activists to Heads of the European Union

A large group of civil society activists in Azerbaijan appealed to the leadership of the European Union to lift during the planned June 21 visit of President Ilham Aliyev to Brussels issues of human rights violations and to assist in solving the problems in this area.

The message made up on the initiative of the Club of human rights, and IRFS Media Center and signed by 50 activists, addressed to the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.

"Of course, the most important issues on the agenda of negotiations will be the continuation of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union in the field of energy security. Southern gas corridor is important not only for Azerbaijan but also the entire region. However, the deteriorating human rights situation in Azerbaijan is also an issue worthy of attention and concern, "- said in the letter.

The Azerbaijani government is not fulfilling its obligations to guarantee freedom of expression for the EU (as part of the Action Plan of the European Neighbourhood Policy), the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the UN, then the message says.

The address also reminded that in a referendum in March 2009, the Constitution was amended to allow for life Ilham Aliyev to run the country, despite the fact that the Venice Commission has regarded these developments as "a serious step back from democracy.

This month the ruling party New Azerbaijan (NAP) nominated Aliyev for a third term.

On the other hand, the current legislation does not allow Azerbaijan to hold free and fair elections. Despite the fact that the OSCE ODIHR has repeatedly noted the lack of trust in political parties in electoral commissions, authorities no positive steps in this direction have been taken.

A few months before the presidential elections, the Azerbaijani authorities are showing even greater than usual determination to threaten critics of the regime, especially those who use the Internet for this purpose.

Journalists, bloggers and opposition activists are increasingly being arrested, physical pressures and smear campaigns, the freedom of expression getting worse every day.

President Aliyev himself, speaking at the congress on June 7 NAP showed intolerance against critics of the regime.

Among the politically motivated arrests recently called criminal cases against opposition members - the likely presidential candidate Ilgar Mamedov and Tofig Yagublu, 7 activists NİDA, members of the movement "Free Youth" Ilkin Rustamzadeh, lawyer Gurban Mammadov and others

Based on previous arrests now in jails seven journalists and two human rights defenders.

Deteriorated the state of health of imprisoned youth activist Zaur Gurbanly suffering from thalassemia. However, the authorities do not release it, and do not provide quality treatment.

The authorities have extended criminal penalties for defamation and the Internet, which is a threat to freedom of expression in the on-linevmedia and social networks.

Contrary to the country's obligations under the Convention against Corruption on transparency in public administration, the authorities attributed to the trade secret information about the owners of commercial legal entities, which is contrary to international standards of freedom of information and makes it difficult to investigative journalism.

The authors of the call ask the EU not to bring democracy a victim to their energy interests.

The revolution of the "Arab Spring" has shown that stability is an "illusion" if it is not based on respect for human rights.

According to the authors of the messages, a prerequisite to the realization of the Southern Gas Corridor should be to ensure human rights in Azerbaijan.

They called Rompuy and Barroso to help end human rights violations in Azerbaijan, the release of political prisoners and the restoration of justice.

The authors of the appeal, recalling previous resolutions and statements by the European Parliament and other EU institutions on human rights violations in Azerbaijan, called Rompuy and Barroso to raise these issues at the meeting with Aliyev and declare the importance of respecting the country's international commitments in the field of democracy.

The appeal was signed by 50 people - human rights activists, lawyers, journalists, experts, intellectuals and politicians. -06D -