Baku/11.02.20/Turan: The statement by the Spokesperson of EU External action on the early parliamentary elections express regrets that recommendations by OSCE/ODIHR and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission are not realized in Azerbaijan.
“As noted by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) Election Observation Mission, the Central Electoral Commission made concerted efforts to act transparently and was welcoming towards international observers.
According to the OSCE/ODIHR’s preliminary assessment, despite a high number of candidates, the restrictive legislation and political environment prevented genuine competition in the elections. Some opposition parties boycotted the elections due to the restrictive environment, while some candidates were prevented from running by Azerbaijan’s failure to execute rulings of the European Court of Human Rights concerning violations of the right to free elections. Significant procedural violations during the counting of ballots and the tabulation, as highlighted by the OSCE/ODIHR, are of particular concern.
The European Union regrets that long standing recommendations by OSCE/ODIHR and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission still have to be addressed. The EU stands ready to assist in this process.
The EU looks forward to continuing dialogue and working closely with Azerbaijani institutions, including the newly elected Parliament, for the benefit of all citizens”, - reads the statement. -16D-
Politics
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The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OPHRD), a joint program of the World Organization against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), has called for the urgent release of activist Rufat Safarov from prison in Azerbaijan. It has launched a campaign in support of the Azerbaijani human rights defender. https://www.omct.org/en/resources/urgent-interventions/arbitrary-detention-and-judicial-harassment-against-rufat-safarov
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This year, the laureate of the annual Nargiz Prize, awarded for efforts in the fight for democracy, was Akif Gurbanov, chairman of the board of the Resplatforma (Platform of the III Republic) movement, who is under arrest.
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The U.S. will prohibit the issuing of visas for nearly a dozen more individuals responsible for undermining democracy in Georgia, bringing the total number to over 100, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
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The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has expressed condolences to the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, following the tragic incident in the city of Magdeburg. "We are deeply shocked by the news of the deaths and injuries resulting from the tragic incident that took place at the Christmas market in Magdeburg," the message reads.
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