U.S. Says Raised Concerns To Azerbaijan Over Bakhtiyar Hajiyev's Case

Washington D.C./28.02.23/Turan:  The United States has raised concerns with Azerbaijan over the case of jailed activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, the State Department said on Monday

"This is a case, again, that we’ve engaged directly with our Azerbaijani partners on," State Department spokesman Ned Price told TURAN's Washington correspondent during a daily press briefing.

He went on to add, "Around the world, we speak up for what are universal rights... – the right to freedom of expression is a universal right. It does not apply to people in only certain countries and a certain block of countries. These are rights and this is a principle that applies to people around the world. And anytime we see a universal right come under threat, whether systematically or in specific cases, we don’t hesitate to raise those concerns."

As for Azerbaijan, Price said, "we have raised these concerns publicly, as we’ve discussed in this briefing room, but we’ve also raised them privately with our Azerbaijani partners."

Hajiyev, who was arrested on Dec 9 for alleged “hooliganism” and “disrespect for court”, has been on a hunger strike for over 50 days and his health is reportedly in critical condition. Many, including even former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have claimed that the charges against him are politically motivated.

Alex Raufoglu