Washington D.C./16.03.23/Turan: The United States is troubled by Azerbaijan’s recent political party law, the State Department said on Thursday, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
"We urge the authorities to incorporate Venice Commission and OSCE ODIHR recommendations and to respect fundamental freedoms, including of association," spokesperson Ned Price said on his Twitter account.
Azerbaijan has recently enacted a new law that is deemed to be restricting the already miniscule space for opposition political activity. The law "on political parties," signed into force by President Ilham Aliyev on January 11, is an updated version of the initial bill proposed last September.
Both the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights have criticised the new law, noting that it “introduced a number of new problematic provisions that could have a deterrent effect on pluralism in the country.”
Alex Raufoglu
Politics
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Russian investigators have confirmed that the crash of flight 8243, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), was the result of a missile strike, according to new findings from sources close to the investigation, as reported by the Azerbaijani pro-government outlet AnewZ.
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Azerbaijan's private broadcaster Baku TV aired a report on Friday accusing the "Russian House" in Baku of engaging in anti-Azerbaijani espionage activities under the guise of cultural and humanitarian work. The report, citing "trusted sources" without disclosing details, alleged that the Russian cultural center is fostering inter-ethnic discord and operating as a hub for intelligence activities.
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On January 24, the Baku Court of Appeals considered an appeal regarding the arrest of journalist Farid Ismailov. According to his lawyer Zibeyda Sadigova, the defense argued that there was no need to keep the journalist in custody, citing his health problems and the fact that the preliminary investigation had already been completed.
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The human rights situation in Azerbaijan in 2024 was characterized by an increase in repression against journalists, activists, and religious groups, the annual report of the NGO "Line of Defense," presented on January 24 by member of the organization, human rights activist Zafar Ahmedov.
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