Representatives of International Organizations Hold Debate on Human Rights in Azerbaijan at COP29
Representatives of International Organizations Hold Debate on Human Rights in Azerbaijan at COP29
On November 19, a debate titled "No Climate Justice Without Space and Meaningful Participation" took place as part of COP29. The event was organized by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and a number of other human rights organizations.
According to Turan, Fuad Hasanov, the head of the NGO Democratic Monitoring, who participated in the meeting, stated that the central theme of the speeches was that in a context of limited space for civil society, there can be no free discussions on the issue of climate change. The debate particularly highlighted the de facto paralysis of independent civil society institutions in Azerbaijan.
NGOs in the country face difficulties with registration, lack access to funding from international organizations, which have effectively been banned from operating in the country. In this context, any foreign financial assistance is considered as "smuggling."
Leila Mustafayeva, an editor of Abzas Media, who joined the discussion online from Germany, spoke about her colleagues—journalists from her outlet - who were arrested on charges of smuggling. The meeting also addressed the issue of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, the number of whom exceeds 300. Calls were made for the Azerbaijani authorities to release political prisoners, including journalists, and to create conditions in the country for the free operation of independent civil society institutions and media.
Politics
-
On November 19, the Sabail District Court of Baku granted the prosecution's request to extend the pretrial detention of Talysh researcher Iqbal Abilov for another four months, his lawyer, Rovshan Rahimov reported. According to the lawyer, the defense considers Abilov’s detention to be unjustified and disputes the charges brought against him. Abilov himself also rejected the accusations. The defense plans to file an appeal against the court's decision.
-
By the orders of the head of state, Zamin Aliyev has been appointed the Consul General of Azerbaijan in the Turkish city of Kars;
-
The First Deputy Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan and Chief of the General Staff, Kerim Veliyev, is currently in Pakistan for the defense exhibition and seminar "IDEAS 2024." During his visit, Veliyev met with the Director General of Pakistan's Strategic Plans Division, Yusuf Jamal, according to the press service of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense. The talks focused on issues related to military and military-technical cooperation between the two countries.
-
The press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the abuse of female journalists from Abzas Media, who are being held in Baku's pretrial detention center. "RSF condemns the ill-treatment of Abzas Media journalists Sevinj Vagifgizi, Nargiz Absalamova, and Elnara Gasymova. They have threatened to go on hunger strike if the pressure on them in the detention center does not stop. Journalists must be released," RSF stated a message posted on their “X” (formerly Twitter) account.
Leave a review