Baku / 21.11.17 / Turan: The Monitoring Center for Political Prisoners resolutely condemned the suspension of the advocacy of the well-known defender Yalchin Imanov. This step showed the inconsistency of the authorities" claims that the restriction of the legal representation of citizens in the courts is aimed at improving the quality of legal protection, the effectiveness of lawyers and the growth of their number. In practice, a step has been taken, further weakening the legal protection of citizens. "Thus, Yalchin Imanov, one of the few lawyers defending the rights of political prisoners, has been dismissed from the defense," the head of the Monitoring Center for Political Prisoners Elshan Hasanov said.
He called deplorable the use of the Bar itself in eliminating the defenders unwanted by the authorities. Earlier, Alaif Hasanov, Aslan Ismayilov, Khalid Baghirov, Elchin Namazov and others were deprived of their legal powers in the same way. The lawyer Aliabbas Rustamov was even arrested on a far-fetched charge. Disciplinary proceedings were initiated against other well-known lawyers defending political prisoners - Neymat Kerimli, Asabali Mustafayev, Fakhraddin Mehdiyev, Aghil Lahijov, and Elchin Sadygov. Thus, the widely publicized justice reform even taken up by the PACE rapporteurs proved to be nothing more than a fiction, Hasanov stressed.
At the same time, he drew attention to the fact that the pressure on lawyers is synchronized with another rollout on independent media. "Through the Press Council led by Aflatun Amashov, there is an unlawful pressure on freedom of expression. Websites covering violations of the rights of political prisoners are entered in the "black list". So, on the recommendation of the Press Council and without a court decision, the websites realliq.info, realliq.az, NIA.az, neytral.az, politika.az, vediinfo.az, obyektiv.org, sonolay.org, 24saat.org, ulus.az, qanunxeber.az, infoaz.org, xalqinsesi.com, and aztoday.az have been blocked, Hasanov said.
"We former political prisoners condemn repressive methods against lawyers and independent media, and we demand restoration of the rights of lawyers and stopping pressure on journalists," the statement said.
* The Monitoring Center for Political Prisoners was established by a group of former "prisoners of conscience" in October 2014. -06D--
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