On 10 September plenary session of the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for the release without any conditions civil society activists, human rights defenders and journalists Khadija Ismailova, Arif and Leyla Yunus, Anar Mammadli, Rasul Jafarov, Intigam Aliyev, Rauf Mirkadyrov, Omar Mammadov, Tofig Yagublu, Nijat Aliyev, Araz Guliyev, Parviz Hashimli, Seymour Ghazi, Hilal Mamedov, Thale Hasmamedov, Ilgar Mammadov, and all other political prisoners, as well as to remove all charges against them. The resolution calls on the leadership of the European Commission to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the corruption of the Azerbaijani leadership set out in the investigation of Khadija Ismailova. The resolution expressed the requirement to apply sanctions against Azerbaijan judges, officials and politicians of the country, as well as impose a visa ban on them. The resolution was adopted by 365 votes "for", 202 "against", and 72 abstentions, the deputies. The resolution was initiated by a group of Liberal Democrats (ALDE), which was supported then by five parliamentary groups. The text of the resolution can be found here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-%2f%2fEP%2f%2fNONSGML%2bMOTION%2bP8-RC-2015-0856%2b0%2bDOC%2bPDF%2bV0%2f%2fEN -16D04-
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On Thursday, hearings on the human rights situation in Azerbaijan began in th European Parliament. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B8-2015-0858&language=EN
The hearings focused on the human rights situation and the observance of the rule of law, taking into account previous resolutions on Azerbaijan. The draft resolution points to the worsening human rights situation, the pressure on civil society, the media, the repression against journalists and activists, violations of fundamental freedoms.
The document calls on Azerbaijan to fulfill the obligations to the Council of Europe, OSCE and UN in the field of human rights, to implement the recommendations of these organizations to improve the situation, to democratize the electoral environment. Otherwise, the European Parliament will refuse to send an observation mission for the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. -16D-
Politics
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The top U.S. diplomat Antony Blinken on Tuesday called from the plane to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss the Middle East and the South Caucasus, TURAN's Washington correspondent who is currently traveling with the secretary of state in Europe, reports.
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As the Biden administration draws to a close, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is headed on an emergency trip to Brussels to discuss how to support Ukraine with European allies.
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