Açiq mənbələrdən foto.
State Department Urges Azerbaijan To Release Tofig Yagublu and Bakhtiyar Hajiyev 'Expeditiously'
The State Department on Monday reacted to the latest human rights concerns in Azerbaijan involving jailed government critics Tofig Yagublu and Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
"We’re deeply troubled by the arrest and detention of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev and Tofig Yagublu," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told a daily press briefing in response to TURAN's request for comment "We urge the authorities to release them expeditiously," Price said.
Both Yagublu and Hajiyev are holding hunger strikes in jail as a protest against the illegalities of the Azerbaijani authorities..
Price said that the U.S. remains "strongly committed" to advancing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. "And again, we urge the government to respect its citizens’ right, including the rights to express views peacefully," the spokesperson concluded.
Hajiyev was detained early December and is accused of "hooliganism" and "contempt of court", allegations that human rights organizations say are politically motivated.
Mr. Yagublu was detained on Dec 23 at a protest rally in the center of Baku demanding the release of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev. He is on his sixth day of hunger strike today, with his wife and other activists joining in solidarity.
The latest arrests come amid a recent crackdown on opposition party functionaries and activists by the Azerbaijani government.
Alex Raufoglu
Washington D.C.
Politics
-
On November 26, the Baku Court of Appeals reviewed the appeal of human rights defender Anar Mammadli, who contested the extension of his detention. Mammadli's lawyer, Javad Javadov, stated that Mammadli argued the extension of his pre-trial detention was unfounded and linked the criminal prosecution to his human rights activities, Turan reported.
-
On November 26, a group of reserve officers from the Nakhchivan special forces held a protest near the Azerbaijani presidential administration. The protesters participated in the 44-day war and were discharged after sustaining injuries. They claim that the payments they are entitled to have not been provided.
-
On November 26, the Baku Court of Appeals heard a complaint regarding the extension of the detention of former diplomat Emin Ibrahimov. During the hearing, the investigator requested that the complaint be rejected, while Ibrahimov's lawyer, Aghil Laidj, pointed out the lack of grounds for keeping Ibrahimov in custody.
-
Arrested economist Fazil Gasimov has reportedly faced pressure after protesting the interruption of a phone call with his family on November 16. "The phone call was cut off, and Fazil demanded that the connection be restored. Then, Jalal Alizadeh, a detention center officer, along with his colleagues, forcibly removed Fazil from the phone room in the medical unit of the facility, tearing his jacket and dragging him across the floor before throwing him into a cell.
Leave a review