The United States on Wednesday reacted to reports about Azerbaijan's targeting of the Chair of opposition Popular Front Party, Ali Karimli, as he is facing defamation charges, which he calls 'a falsification' by the authorities.
"We are deeply troubled by the continued crackdown on civil society and members of the political opposition," a State Department spokesperson told TURAN's Washington correspondent in response to an inquiry.
"Those exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, should not be targeted for doing so," the spokesperson concluded.
Mr. Karimli has long been under pressure from the authorities. On Tuesday, August 13, he appeared in a Baku court facing defamation charges, which could result in up to 6 months of arrest. Karimli believes he himself is a victim of defamation by the authorities.
On August 14, U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mark Libby, met with Karimli to hear about the criminal case filed against him, the Embassy said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Ambassador Libby reiterated U.S. support for democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms," reads the Embassy post.
Politics
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The chairman of the Musavat Party, Isa Gambar, met with the head of the OSCE Election Observation Mission, Ditmir Bushati, on August 14. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Musavat Party and discussions focused on the upcoming snap parliamentary elections scheduled for September 1.
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The Turkish authorities have decided to take fingerprints from all individuals entering the country, though the exact start date has not been specified, “Sabah” reported, citing the country's Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya. "The minister announced that fingerprints will be taken upon entry to Türkiye, similar to practices in the U.S. and the U.K.," the publication states.
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An investigation into potential abuses among internet providers has been initiated, the State Service for Antimonopoly Control and Consumer Market Supervision under the Ministry of Economy announced on August 14. The investigation concerns the increase in the minimum tariff for fiber-optic internet with a speed of 40 Mbps. The current monthly tariff of 18 AZN will now be replaced by a tariff of 25 AZN for a speed of 100 Mbps.
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A recent interview with the Azerbaijani President's aide on Radio "Azadliq," in which he stated that Baku and Yerevan had agreed to remove the Zangezur Corridor clause from the peace agreement and leave its discussion for later, went largely unnoticed.
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