UN High Commissioner calls for the release of political prisoners in Azerbaijan

At the 29th session of the Human Rights Council held in Geneva, the UN High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein called a number of post-Soviet countries to abandon the persecution of NGOs and civil society activists.  According to Turan, the press service of the Geneva office of the UN High Commissioner criticized the new law on the Russian foreign and international organizations, defended political prisoners in Azerbaijan and denounced the bills of some countries in Central Asia against NGOs.

Speaking  about the Russian Federation, the High Commissioner noted that "the new federal law № 129-FZ" will allow the authorities to declare the foreign and international organizations "undesirable", and close them on the grounds that they pose a threat to the constitutional order, national security or defense.

In a number of countries in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, are being developed draft legislation on non-governmental organizations to receive foreign funding. "If such laws are adopted, it will lead to further restrict democratic freedoms,"  said Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein.

Referring to the situation in Azerbaijan, the Commissioner said that he is concerned about reports of violations of the right to a fair trial and a long-term pretrial detention of prisoners of conscience.

"I urge the authorities to release on humanitarian grounds those who have health problems, and to pardon those who have been imprisoned simply for having exercised their rights," said the High Commissioner. -02D-