Another call to release political prisoners

In  2015  the situation in Azerbaijan with  human rights has continued to deteriorate, said  Elshan Hasanov, the head of the Center for Monitoring of political prisoners. "The country continues to operate the practice of arbitrary arrests, illegal verdict, death from torture, attempted suicide in prisons and police stations, limited freedom of assembly, speech, put pressure on the media, journalists are exposed to physical attacks, violated the rights of private property," Hasanov said .

According to him, none of the officials who took part in the torture has been  punished.

Thus, Azerbaijan has violated Articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, and in particular: Article 3 (prohibition of torture), Article 5 (right to liberty and security), Article 6 (right to a fair trial), Article 7 (No punishment without law), Article 9 (freedom of thought, conscience and religion) and Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association.)

The states do not allow representatives of international human rights organizations to the country.

"The authorities openly ignore the calls of civil society dialogue and cooperation. We believe that the policy of confrontation against the opposition, civil society cannot be positive for stability and building a state of law," Hasanov said.

On the eve of 2016 the authorities should show goodwill and release political prisoners, restore political freedoms under the European Convention, he said.

* Monitoring Center of political prisoners was established in the autumn of 2014 by a group of former “prisoners of conscience.”- 06D—