U.S. urges Azerbaijan, Armenia to use direct communications channels to immediately deescalate

Since November last year, there has been a suppression of the independent press and civil society in Azerbaijan, which is extremely disturbing and sets Azerbaijan back years, US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mark Libby said in an interview with a group of journalists on Friday.  According to him, the United States is taking all possible measures to improve the situation. "We do this openly in meetings with our colleagues. We are doing something openly, something privately, and we will continue this," the ambassador said.

Representatives of over 50 international organizations and leading universities in the UK and the world have appealed to the head of the Foreign Policy Department of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, on the case of Azerbaijani economist Gubad Ibadoglu. The message notes that Ibadoglu, who was released under house arrest during his detention, seriously undermined his health and now apparently needs a complex surgical operation, but he is still banned from leaving the country.

The National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) has scheduled a protest rally in Baku for May 19 demanding the release of political prisoners, electoral reform, improvement of the social situation of the population, and the opening of land borders. Earlier, the opposition had already scheduled rallies with these demands for April 21 and May 5. However, the Baku Executive refused to authorize opposition demonstrations.

The Biden Administration on Thursday formally accused Russia of using chemical weapons in Ukraine, and pledged further steps to hold Moscow accountable, following a new set of sanctions against the Kremlin, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.