Baku/16.04.19/Turan: The Elections Monitoring and Democracy Center (EMDC) has distributed an Evaluation Document on politically motivated administrative arrests in Azerbaijan.
As noted in the document, from January 2018 to February 2019, 128 people were arrested administratively for political reasons.
Administrative arrests are used in Azerbaijan to punish social and political activists. Some activists during the review period were repeatedly arrested.
Administrative arrests were mainly used to restrict the freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, etc. In handling cases, the right to a fair trial was violated.
It also indicates the adoption by the European Court of Human Rights of decisions on the violation of the rights of 75 applicants in connection with administrative arrests.
The authors of the study recommend improving the legislation of Azerbaijan on freedom of assembly in accordance with European standards. The need to eliminate the practice of using administrative arrests as an instrument of political pressure is noted.
It is recommended to punish those who detain activists before rallies and deliver them to the police.
It calls on the authorities to take into account the requirements of the ECHR to ensure freedom of assembly.
Courts are recommended to objectively consider cases, and not be based only on reports and testimony of police officers. The courts should investigate all the evidence and circumstances; view the recordings of surveillance cameras, etc.
EMDC is the successor to the Election Monitoring Center established in 2001. The organization is headed by human rights activist and activist Anar Mammadli. -06D-
Social
-
On Sunday, variable cloudiness is expected on January 5 in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula. Brief precipitation may occur in some areas during the day, with light fog in the evening and morning hours. The south-western wind will change to a periodically intensifying north-western wind. The air temperature at night will range from 3°C to 6°C, and during the day, it will be between 7°C and 9°C, according to the National Hydrometeorological Service of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Ecology.
-
The latest round of utility price increases in Azerbaijan, effective January 2, has sparked sharp criticism from opposition parties and civil society, highlighting systemic issues in the management of state monopolies. The Tariff Council’s decision to raise prices for electricity, natural gas, water, heating, and even pharmaceuticals has provoked public discontent, with opposition leaders accusing the government of exacerbating the country’s socio-economic challenges.
-
President Ilham Aliyev has declared 2025 as the "Year of Constitution and Sovereignty." This decision, outlined in a decree signed by the head of state, is attributed to two significant anniversaries: the 30th year since the adoption of the country’s Constitution and the fifth anniversary of victory in the Patriotic War (Second Karabakh War).
-
An Embraer 190/195 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) on the Baku-Kazan route experienced radio interference and GPRS disruptions while flying over Astrakhan on January 1, according to a source in aviation cited by Turan. The aircraft's avionics resumed normal functioning only after leaving Astrakhan’s airspace.
Leave a review