International human rights defenders support the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (EMDSC)

Members and partners of the Human Rights House Network (HRHN) and the South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders condemn the continued harassment of the Azerbaijani Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre in the aftermath of the Presidential elections of 9 October 2013.

Tuesday, 12 November 2013, by Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF)

On 28 and 30 October 2013, two of the leaders of Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre (EMDS) were called for questioning to the Major Crimes Investigation Department of the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan. They were told that any organisation receiving large amount of grants from foreign sources is under scrutiny and hence they were brought in for questioning. Investigators were particularly interested in the election observation work done in relation to the Presidential elections.

On 31 October 2013, a search was conducted in EMDS’s office. Print materials, press releases, reports, along with programme and financial documents were confiscated, as well as two computers.

According to a spokesperson of the Office of the Prosecutor General quoted by the Azeri-Press Agency, the Office “started investigations regarding irregularities recorded.”

The 58 NGOs which signed the letter call upon the President and the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan to put an end to the investigations into the activities of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre, which they consider as a harassment diminishing its independence and impeding on the right to freedom of association.

The NGOs further call upon authorities to:

Guarantee that a well detailed and timely written explanation for the imposition of those restrictions on EMDS is provided to the organisation, and that they are subject of an independent and impartial judicial review;

Safeguard that all authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan, at all administrative levels, comply with the State’s obligation to protect the right to freedom of association, especially in relation to an electoral process, including in the aftermath of the elections;

With regard to the right to freedom of association, as recommended by theEuropean Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) [see recommendations] and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [see recommendations], review the laws affecting the work of NGOs, including by guaranteeing the right to access domestic and international funding, reducing excessively burdensome reporting obligations, and improving and facilitating the registration procedures for NGOs, in order to create an environment conducive for NGOs to carry out their activities, including those expressing critical opinions.--16D06-