WHO called on governments to stop the pressure on those who are unhappy with situation

The Committee to Protect Civil Society(CPSS)  called on the Azerbaijani authorities to stop neutralizing the people unrest with social situation caused by the economic and financial crisis since the second wave of devaluation of the manat in December last year.

The Committee’s meeting on January 10 stated the illegal arrests of participants of protests against rising prices and unemployment in the country. The exact number of those arrested is unknown as the authorities did not announce details about it and the detainees do not have lawyers. There are reports of torture of detainees.

Under such a situation the  CPSS calls on the authorities to start a dialogue with all relevant social and political forces to find ways to bring the country out of crisis and extensive reforms.

At the meeting, attention was paid to the course of the court for the murder of journalist Rasim Aliyev. Noting the inadmissibility of the semi-closed nature of the trial, the Committee demanded to bring to justice the first doctors of the Central Clinical Hospital, where the journalist died.

The CPSS also paid attention to the situation of political prisoners and prisoners in general prisons. It was decided to take measures to improve prison conditions. The meeting discussed separately the state of prisoners - Iranian citizens convicted of various crimes in Azerbaijan and their problems. It is about the people who have served sentences in the volume allowing to sent  them home. Committee members agreed to address this issue in the future.-0-