U.S. Says Has Been Following Bakhtiyar Hajiyev's Case 'Very Closely'

Washington D.C./21.04.23/Turan: The United States has been following the case of jailed activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev very closely, the State Department said on Monday.

"We have been following the case very closely, but I don’t have any updates to offer on that," Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told a daily press briefing when responding to TURAN's questions about the prolonged detention of Hajiyev despite international calls for his release.

"I think we have continued to be very clear about our issues in which his detention took place, and we’re continuing to monitor the situation very closely," Patel added, when pressed further.

Hajiyev, a U.S.-educated prominent human rights defender, was arrested on Dec 9 on charges of "hooliganism" and "contempt of court", claims that the activist strongly rejects. Yesterday, a court in Baku prolonged his detention for another two month.

The U.S. government, as well as congressional leaders, such as Senators Dick Durbin and Ben Cardin have repetedıy urged Azerbaijan to release Hajiyev 'immediately'. Many, including even former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have claimed that the charges against him are politically motivated. -0-

Alex Raufoglu