State Department Condemned Persecution of Relatives of Ganimat Zahid and Emin Milli

The US State Department condemned the persecutions of relatives of the prominent expatriate journalists Ganimat Zahid and Emin Milli in Azerbaijan.

"We are deeply concerned about the limitations of civil society activists in Azerbaijan, arrests and harassment of journalists and public figures.

We urge the Azerbaijani authorities to respect the fundamental rights of citizens and give them the opportunity to express their views freely," the State Department told the Voice of America.

"Cooperation between authorities and civil society is essential for the sustainable future of Azerbaijan. We have repeatedly reminded the country's government of this, calling to fulfill its commitments on the protection of the independent press."

Ganimat Zahid's and Emin Milli’s relatives were arrested for non-political charges. However, they associate it with his journalistic activities. It has long been common practice in Azerbaijan, where journalists and activists are pursued on non-political articles - drug possession, hooliganism, and tax evasion, according to the State Department's response.

Recall that arrests and prosecutions have been applied to four relatives of Zahid and one relative of Emin Milli. -03D-