E.Milli: It is necessary to protect the dissident community in Azerbaijan

Despite international criticism, the Azerbaijani government continues to suppress independent and opposition voices, said the day before at the forum in Washington, "Azerbaijan: the place of testing Democratic Solidarity", organized by the US National Endowment for Democracy.

If the government of Azerbaijan achieves the complete destruction of the dissident community,  it will be impossible to  stop the repression of the authorities, said  Emin Milli, the editor of on-line resource MeydanTV.

An arrested a journalist Khadija Ismayilova was awarded recently the PEN prize  of the American Center, she  dedicated himself to the struggle against corruption and the rule of law. Azerbaijan needs such people.

Millie called on writers and actors to participate at the event  of the PEN center, to write a book and make a film about the history of Khadija. Milli also noted the importance of international support for the dissidents.

In Azerbaijan, hundreds of thousands of people shared democratic values.

They need support they to prfovide the country's soft power, if necessary, to ensure the transition to a stable, democratic society, said Milly.

Senior Research Employee of  the Carnegie Endowment of International, Tom de Waal, stressed the importance of dialogue with the government to determine the causes of repression in Azerbaijan, and to persuade Baku to abandon this path.

Head of the Azerbaijani service of "Radio Liberty" Kanan Aliyev said about the systematic destruction of civil society in Azerbaijan, about the impossibility of the activities of the independent media in the country and international organizations. Azerbaijan suspended the activities of international organizations such as: to NDI, IREX and Peace Corps.

The US does not fight to defend its organizations. Seeing the lack of response, the Azerbaijani government is increasing pressure on civil society and the media," Aliyev said. -06D-