Baku / 01.10.17 / Turan: The Council of Europe is concerned about the persecution of LGBT by the police in Azerbaijan. This is stated by Daniel Holtgen, official representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, circulated on Sunday evening.
"We are very concerned by reports from Azerbaijan alleging mistreatment of LGBT persons by police. Discrimination of minorities, sexual or other, is against the European Convention of Human Rights. LGBT persons have no special rights under the Convention; they have the same rights as anyone else. Azerbaijan should ensure these rights are respected and the reported mistreatment cases are thoroughly investigated. We are following developments closely," the statement said.
According to local human rights activists and LGBT activists, about 100 homosexuals and transgender people were detained during police raids in mid-September.
Representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs said the detentions were carried out as part of the fight against prostitution, and no violent actions were allowed.
However, civil society activists and the LGBT community stated that most of the detainees were not sex workers. According to them, the detainees were subjected to insults and physical pressure and were forced to give information about their familiar representatives of sexual minorities, who were also brought to the police. Some of the detainees were released after they were fined. However, 61 people were sentenced to administrative arrest for a period of 10 to 30 days on charges of not submitting to the police. In the courts, they were without lawyers.
Currently, their rights are protected by two groups of lawyers consisting of five and two defenders. Decisions on their arrests have been appealed. -06D--
Social
-
President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola has invited Azerbaijani economist and political prisoner Professor Gubad Ibadoglu to Strasbourg to attend the 2024 Sakharov Prize award ceremony. The invitation, delivered by Member of the European Parliament Michael Bloss at the COP29 climate conference, comes as Ibadoglu remains under house arrest and prohibited from leaving Azerbaijan.
-
An operation at Istanbul Airport has revealed an incident that could strain diplomatic relations. Kahraman Shamil oglu Mammadov, alleged to be an Azerbaijani military attaché, was caught with 70 kilograms of gold. According to Turkish media, Despite Mammadov's claims that he is a diplomat, it is believed that the incident is related to gold smuggling.
-
On a brisk November evening, the residents of Baku gathered along the waterfront of the Caspian Sea, stunned by what appeared to be the washed-up body of a colossal whale. At 16 meters long, the creature’s seemingly lifeless form and pungent odor left many convinced they were witnessing an ecological tragedy. By that night, however, the mysterious visitor had departed, loaded onto a cargo platform and whisked away to the airport.
-
Starting from November 25, dedicated traffic lanes allocated for COP29 conference participants will lose their exclusive status and will be open to all vehicles, according to the Land Transport Agency (AYNA).
Leave a review