On Tuesday British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, who arrived in Baku to attend the ceremony of signing the investment agreement for the field "Shah Deniz 2", met with civil society activists in Azerbaijan - Khadija Ismailova , Emin Huseynov, Turgut Gambar , Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, and Ali Novruzov.
During the meeting they discussed the state of human rights, civil liberties in Azerbaijan. According to one of the participants of the meeting, Hague was informed about gross violations by the Azerbaijani government the national legislation and international obligations in the field of human rights and freedoms. "But it was obvious that the Minister is aware about what is happening in the country,"- said the source.
Civil society activists have called the UK to use its influence, and take a principled stand in relations with the Azerbaijani government on the issue of human rights. In particular, it was suggested to include Azerbaijan into the list of countries whom the UK considers human rights violators, and tracks in its annual report "Human Rights and Democracy." The list includes 27 countries , four of which are post-Soviet: Russia , Belarus, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.—0—
Politics
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On the 35th birthday of Igbal Abilov, a researcher imprisoned in Azerbaijan, his colleagues and supporters organized celebratory actions in various European cities, including Vilnius, Belgrade, Warsaw, and Porto, to raise awareness about his case. The participants of these actions called for the release of Abilov, who has been recognized by human rights defenders as a political prisoner.
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As a result of the preliminary investigation, the charge against Aziz Orujov, director of the internet TV channel Kanal 13, under Article 206.3.2 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code (smuggling committed by a group of individuals in conspiracy) has been dropped. The case has been sent to court only under Article 188.2 of the Criminal Code (unauthorized construction on land without ownership rights). This was reported to Turan by Orujov's wife, journalist Lamia Orujeva.
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Today, the Baku Serious Crimes Court delivered a verdict in the case of public activist Ilhamiz Guliyev. The court reclassified the charges from Article 234.4.3 (illegal drug trafficking with intent to sell in large quantities) to a lighter charge under Article 234.1-1 (illegal acquisition, possession, manufacturing, processing, or transportation of narcotic substances or psychotropic substances in large quantities without the intent to distribute) of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code and sentenced the activist to three years in prison.
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On December 12, the Union for "Freedom for Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan" published an updated list of political prisoners, which now includes the names of 331 individuals.
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