This year, pressure on government critics has intensified in Azerbaijan - human rights activists

Baku/29.12.22/Turan: In the outgoing 2022, the situation with human rights in Azerbaijan has not improved, on the contrary, pressure on political, civil and religious activists has become even tougher. This is stated in the report of the Center for Monitoring Political Prisoners (CMPZ).

The study presents facts of human rights violations from the point of view of the articles of the European Convention on Human Rights and Freedoms. In particular, the new copper law violates Article 10 (Freedom of Expression) and increases government control over the media. The introduction of a register of media and journalists is in fact a licensing of their activities.

At the end of the year, critic of the government, public activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev was arrested on trumped-up charges. The adoption of the reactionary law on political parties was a violation of Article 11 "Freedom of Assembly and Association" of the European Convention.

“The new law, hastily adopted by the parliament, allows the authorities to further restrict the activities of political forces, tightly control them, increase pressure on activists of opposition organizations, arbitrarily cancel the registration of existing structures and prevent the creation of new ones,” said Elshan Hasanov, head of the Center. Legislative restrictions were accompanied by persecution of opposition politicians. Thus, during the year, 4 criminal cases were initiated against the leader of the Citizens and Development party, Ali Aliyev, on trumped-up charges, and as a result, he was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.

In 2022, the Baku Executive Power did not coordinate a single protest action, and uncoordinated demonstrations, despite their peaceful nature, were severely suppressed by the police, and their participants were detained and arrested.

In the outgoing year, cases of violation of Article 3 (Prohibition of Torture) of the European Convention in relation to a number of detainees were recorded. During the year, several religious activists from the Muslim Unity Movement were arrested on trumped-up charges of drug trafficking. The real reason for their persecution was their religious beliefs, which is regarded as a violation of Article 9 (Freedom of thought, conscience and religion) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

At the end of the year, it became known about the arrest of several believers on charges of terrorism and treason.

The Center considered the release from prison of 19 defendants in the "Terter case" as a positive fact, most of whom were fully acquitted. The summary of the report states that the human rights situation in Azerbaijan remains deplorable. The “crackdown” continues, the courts issue unfounded verdicts, the activities of lawyers are limited, the security forces use punitive measures with impunity, criticism of the authorities is practically prohibited, civil society is crushed.

“All fundamental rights provided for by the European Convention on Human Rights are violated deliberately and harshly,” the conclusion of the report of the Center for Monitoring Political Prisoners says.

* The Center was established in October 2014 by a group of former “prisoners of conscience” led by Elshan Hasanov. ---06B---