The State Department said on Friday it's been 'deeply engaged' on the issue of recent arrests in Azerbaijan, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
"This is an issue that we continue to be deeply engaged on and raise directly," Vedant Patel, State Department's principal deputy spokesperson, told a daily press briefing when asked by TURAN about the issues of recently jailed government critics Tofig Yagublu and Bakhtiyar Hajiyev.
"The U.S. remains strongly committed to advancing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and we again in this case urge the government [of Azerbaijan] to respect its citizens' rights, including the right to express views peacefully," Patel said, repeating the department's previously expressed position.
Hajiyev, a leading activist, was detained in early December and is accused of "hooliganism" and "contempt of court", allegations that human rights organizations say are politically motivated. Yagublu, a prominent opposition leader and ardent government critic, was detained on December 23 at a protest rally in the center of Baku demanding the release of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev. Both ae currently holding hunger strikes in jail as a protest against the illegalities of the Azerbaijani authorities..
Asked by TURAN's correspondent whether these cases have been raised by Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried during her latest call to Azerbaijan this week, Patel said, "I don't have a specific call readout to offer ... but as I said, this is something that we are paying very close attention to, and I will echo what [spokesperson] Ned [Price] said when this was first raised, is that we are deeply troubled by these arrests and we urge authorities to release them expeditiously."
The latest arrests in Azerbaijan come amid a recent crackdown on opposition party functionaries and activists by the government.
Alex Raufoglu
Washington D.C.
Politics
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The gas pipeline from Russia to Iran will pass through Azerbaijan, its route has been agreed upon. Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev told reporters, TASS reports.
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Journalist Farid Ismayilov, who had been under police supervision in connection with the Toplum TV case, was detained on January 17 and brought to the Khatai District Court, his colleagues reported.
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Ilham Aliyev congratulated Irakli Kobakhidze on the victory of the Georgian Dream party in the elections and wished him continued success. "The victory of your party is of particular significance for the entire South Caucasus, making it a more stable region, and we rejoice in this victory as your friends and brothers. We wish your government new successes in its work," said Aliyev during a joint briefing following talks and the signing of bilateral documents.
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On January 17, the Khatai District Court of Baku rejected the requests for house arrest for journalists Aynur Elgünesh and Natig Djavadly, employees of Meydan TV, their lawyers, Elchin Sadigov and Zibeyda Sadigova reported to Turan news agency. According to the lawyers, there are no legal or procedural grounds for keeping the journalists in detention. The journalists themselves stated that the criminal case against them had been fabricated to punish them for their professional activities. The defense intends to appeal the court's refusal to transfer the journalists to house arrest.
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