On January 27, a protest in support of Igbal Abilov, a researcher arrested in Azerbaijan, took place in Strasbourg. The picket was organized by friends and colleagues of the young scholar in connection with the opening of the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The PACE agenda included pressing issues, including the problem of human rights and freedoms in Azerbaijan.
"The goal of the protest is to draw attention to the unjust arrest of Igbal Abilov, whose detention in July 2024 was politically motivated," the organizers of the picket stated. Participants in the protest displayed placards and banners calling for Abilov’s release and respect for human rights and academic freedoms in Azerbaijan.
The organizers expressed hope for increased international pressure to secure Abilov's release and called on the Council of Europe to take a firm stance on the issue.
*Igbal Abilov was arrested on July 22, 2024, on charges of treason, calls against the state on behalf of foreign organizations, and incitement of national and religious hatred. It is claimed that all these crimes were committed under the instruction of Armenian intelligence agencies.
Abilov denies the charges and asserts that he was engaged solely in academic activities. A large group of scholars from different countries appealed to the Azerbaijani leadership, requesting assistance in securing Abilov’s release. Human rights activists have recognized him as a political prisoner. On November 19, 2024, a court extended Abilov’s detention for another four months.
Politics
-
Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mikhail Yevdokimov was invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 28 January.
-
After the Second Karabakh War, the transport project proposed by Azerbaijan – the Zangezur Corridor – was included in the international agenda, President Ilham Aliyev stated on Tuesday during a meeting on transportation.
-
On January 28, another hearing took place in the Baku Serious Crimes Court regarding the case of activist Mohiyaddin Orudjev. During the session, a police officer who was involved in Orudjev's detention testified as a witness.
-
On January 27, during the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg, a debate was held on the state of affairs in member states in 2024. As a result, Resolution No. 2580 was adopted, stating that PACE highly appreciates the work of the Monitoring Committee, which oversees the situation in 14 countries. The document expresses concern about the backsliding of democracy and human rights violations in several countries, including Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Leave a review