The International Partnership Group urged the United Nations to Put Pressure on Azerbaijan

UN Member States in the course of consideration of the report of the General of Azerbaijan on April 30, to keep the focus on the inability of the country to defend basic human rights. This call is contained in a statement of the International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan NGOs.

Authors of the statement called for the UN to urge Azerbaijan to task for failure to fulfill obligations undertaken since the previous report in 2009.

In its national report to the UPR, Azerbaijan declared that the right to freedom of association and assembly is guaranteed in the Constitution. He also said that freedom of assembly is further guaranteed by international treaties to which Azerbaijan is a party. However, this statement contradicts the view of many Azerbaijanis who claim otherwise in traditional media, online or in the course of the protests.

Journalists, bloggers and human rights activists, and just the protesters are being arrested and detained. They are regularly harassed and subjected to attacks in the performance of their work.

In recent months, the government of Azerbaijan has adopted several laws that violate international standards. In particular, the amendments to the Law on Assembly and NGO law has had a negative impact on civil society and its ability to act against violations of human rights.

"Report of Azerbaijan does not reflect the reality and we urge the member states to urge Azerbaijan to justice for human rights violations," is said in the statement.

The situation with freedom of speech has not improved in Azerbaijan since 2009. On the contrary, there has been a steady deterioration and demonstration authorities alarming disregard the principles enshrined in the Constitution and international standards, the statement said.

Physical attacks and threats, harassment and blackmail, intimidation and imprisonment of journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders and activists have become commonplace.

Besides all this, the personal lives of journalists subjected to serious violations of what is being done to prevent them from working and put pressure on them. An example of this is the case of Khadija Ismayilova.

"Impunity is the answer to the question why the Azerbaijani authorities to do so.

The world must demand punishment for attacks on journalists for crimes against the dignity and freedom of speech," is said in the statement.

In November 2012, the Law on Freedom of Assembly was amended, increasing, for example, the maximum fine for participating in unsanctioned events from 955 EUR to 7600 EUR.

In January 2013 the country was a wave of public protests - in Baku and Ismailly. Dozens of people were arrested, including blogger Emin Milli, the leader of Real Ilgar Mamedov, etc.

In March and April 2013, seven activists from the youth movement NIDA were arrested on false and politically motivated charges.

March 11, 2013 Ilham Aliyev signed a law on amendments to the law on NGOs, which impose more stringent restrictions on the funding of NGOs in Azerbaijan.

 The law requires a report to the authorities any funding or donations above AZN 200, and requires the signing of a formal contract with the donors. Failure to do so results in exorbitant fines and confiscation of property.

This development adds to an already difficult environment for local and international NGOs. In March of 2013 was three years from the date of closing of the Azerbaijan Human Rights House, which was forced to suspend operations because of the position of the Azerbaijani authorities.

In conclusion, the statement made recommendations of the International Partnership Group, which calls member states to demand from Azerbaijan:

- Conduct an effective, impartial and prompt investigation of all cases of violence against journalists and to bring to justice the perpetrators and organizers;

- Provide adequate protection to journalists in light of threats to their lives and security;

- Double the efforts to investigate the murder of Elmar Huseynov and Rafik Taghi;

- Seriously and effectively investigate all violations of the privacy of journalists and bring those responsible to justice;

- Stop Arrests for politically motivated reasons;

- Immediately and unconditionally release all those detained or imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of expression;

- To cancel changes to the law on freedom of assembly, adopted in November 2012;

- To provide international standards of freedom of peaceful assembly;

- Undo the changes made to the law on NGOs in March 2013;

- Initiate an extensive consultation with civil society, to review laws that create problems for freedom of expression.

This statement was signed by Article 19, the Club of Human Rights, Freedom House, Index on Censorship, International Federation of Journalists, Media Diversity Institute, The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, PEN International, Reporters without Borders and others. -02D--