US Helsinki commission decries human rights situation in azerbaijan
Upon the opening of the first-ever European Games in Baku, US Helsinki Commission Chair Rep. Chris Smith issued the following statement:
“For the next 17 days, the eyes of Europe will be on Baku. It is sad that the European Olympic Committees do not require that a potential host government take human rights seriously. The colorful festivities in Baku must not blind anyone to the Azerbaijani government’s terrible and worsening human rights record.
“Over the past two years, the government has sharply curtailed media freedom. Last month’s closure of the Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) bureau in Baku was the culmination of a months-long campaign to silence one of the last free media sources in the country. RFE/RL investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova remains in jail on trumped-up criminal charges, and scores of other journalists, civil society activists, and religious believers are also imprisoned on politically motivated charges.
“Azerbaijan’s recent unilateral closure of the OSCE Project Coordinator’s office in Baku underscores its complete disregard for the OSCE commitments to which it has pledged to adhere.” -25D-
Politics
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On 26 July "Platform III of the Republic" made a statement which drew attention to the unlawful seizure of electronic devices of underage children of the arrested head of this structure Akif Gurbanov.
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From 19 to 26 July, 24 automatic rifles, 1 machine gun, 9 rifles, 28 grenades, 441 shells, 3118 cartridges of different calibre and other ammunition were found in Khankendi, the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry reported. During the mentioned period, the police found 1 machine gun, 50 grenades, 7 fuses, 3 shells and 320 cartridges of different calibre in Shusha.
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President Ilham Aliyev has approved by decree the Azerbaijan-Kazakh intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in military intelligence defense sector. The document was signed in Baku on 7 June 2024.
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At the trial of the opposition politician Tofig Yagublu, the statement of Elnur Vaqifoglu, another accused, was heard at the Baku Serious Crimes Court.
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