U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE Concerned about Violations of Human Rights in Azerbaijan

U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE, Ian Kelly, called on the Azerbaijani authorities to fulfill their obligations to the OSCE in the field of human rights. He said this at the OSCE Permanent Council after the publication of the annual report by the head of the OSCE Baku Office Koray Torgay.

According to Kelly, the USA wants Azerbaijan to succeed as a safe, sovereign and democratic state. However, civil society, political parties, representatives of the media and human rights activists in Azerbaijan are under pressure from the authorities.

"We call on the Azerbaijani authorities to fulfill the obligations in the field of freedom of assembly, association and expression," said Kelly.

He also expressed concern over the closure of the University of Free Thought and the arrests of activists of NIDA and the head of the civil movement Republican Alternative (REAL), Ilgar Mamedov.

On the issue of the mandate of the OSCE Office in Baku, he reiterated the U.S. position on the need to maintain its current status and called Baku for a constructive dialogue on the issues "of concern."

Kelly called on the Azerbaijani authorities to send the ODIHR and the OSCE PA invitations to an unlimited number of observers for the presidential election of 2013.

However, Kelly said that for 20 years in a number of areas Azerbaijan has made progress, particularly in the fight against human trafficking, the protection of women's rights and participation in the peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan. -16D06-