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HELSINKI COMMISSION CALLED ON BAKU TO FULFILL ITS OBLIGATIONS IN HUMAN RIGHTS' SPHERE, INSTEAD OF SLIPPING INTO AUTHORITARIANISM
23:30 12/06/2014 >> LAW
The US Congressional Commission on Security and Cooperation in
Europe, known as the Helsinki Commission, June 11, strongly urged the
Azerbaijani government to fulfill its obligations on human rights and
greater democracy, instead of heading further towards authoritarianism,
the Azerbaijani news agency Turan reports.
Senator Benjamin Cardin, a Maryland Democrat and chairman of the
Helsinki Commission, stated Washington has significant concerns
regarding Azerbaijan's domestic political situation, which, as Senator
Cardin put it, "is troubling because Azerbaijan is moving in the wrong
direction." According to the Senator along with the consistently seen
problems with freedom of the media and association, last two years
have marked a high number of arrests and convictions of activists that
had all been the hallmark signs of politically motivated prosecutions.
"Our concern is that rather than working to live up to its commitments
in the OSCE and the CoE, Azerbaijan is instead heading towards greater
authoritarianism," Benjamin Cardin stated and added that the U.S.
wants to see a stable and prosperous Azerbaijan. But absent real
democratic progress, there will not be seen true stability and
development there.
Speaking in front of the commission Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
Thomas Melia, who has been refused to enter Azerbaijan last September,
underlined the importance of the democracy in dialogues between the
two countries, saying that he "would like to visit Azerbaijan again
soon to continue these dialogues"
According to Melia the situation of civil liberties in Azerbaijan
has steadily worsened over the past five years and continues to
deteriorate. In 2009, it was already difficult for advocates of
democratic reform - especially opposition political parties - to
participate in the political life of the country, but it was still
possible for NGOs and independent activists to operate.
As Melia notes, the situation has worsened significantly since then
while the suppression of peaceful dissent increased in 2011, with
the arrests of young Azerbaijani activists who sought to organize
peaceful pro-democracy rallies in Baku. Since early 2013, the space
for peaceful dissents has narrowed more dramatically, and the exercise
of fundamental freedoms has become still more tenuous. A number of
leading peaceful democracy advocates, civil society activists, and
journalists have been incarcerated.
"Restrictions on the ability of selected Azerbaijani activists to
travel outside of the country are also a problem, calling into question
the extent of the government's commitment to freedom of movement, a
founding tenet of the OSCE," Melia said, reminding, that since 2006,
the government has prevented the foreign travel of Popular Front
Party Chairman Ali Karimli by refusing to renew his passport.
"Today in Bern, the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights is discussing the important role of human rights defenders in
OSCE participating States. Unfortunately, one of Azerbaijan's leading
human rights defenders, Leyla Yunus, was unable to attend the event,
because Azerbaijan's authorities confiscated her passport - as well
as her husband's - in April. On April 19 well-known journalist Rauf
Mirkadirov was arrested. All three have been strong proponents of
people-to-people diplomacy, which helps build ties between Azerbaijanis
and Armenians and is crucial to the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict," Melia noted.
In his speech Eric Rubin, deputy assistant secretary of state in the
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, underscored Azerbaijan's
positive security and energy cooperation with the west, adding, that
U.S.'s strongest relationships across the globe are with democracies
and the human rights of their citizens.
Dr. Miriam Lanskoy, director for Russia and Eurasia, National Endowment
for Democracy, emphasized that the oil-reach country leadership
"changes the subject" of human rights to divert attention away,
"no follow through" on commitments to OSCE.
Nevertheless Azerbaijan is about to host the OSCE PA at the end of
the month. Despite participation in these international forums, over
the last decade freedoms in Azerbaijan have declined substantially.
Overall, the country has gone from semi-free to state of consolidated
authoritarianism.
According to her recent events in Ukraine have major implications for
Azerbaijan, and are seen as part of the reason that the crackdown on
government critics has continued. The climate has also become much
more difficult for the NGOs.
Azerbaijan should be bringing its legislation in compliance with
ECHR and Venice Commission opinions rather than imposing even greater
burdens on NGOs, believes the representative of NED.
Agency notes that the Azerbaijani Ambassador to the US refused to
attend the hearing, bringing a reason that he had other meetings on
the security front.
Eric Rubin, deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of
European and Eurasian Affairs touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement in his speech.
As it is noted on the official site of Helsinki Commission Eric Rubin
said the United States is working diligently to facilitate a peaceful
settlement to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
"We are focusing on pragmatic steps to bring the sides into
negotiations on a peace agreement based on the core principles of
the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act. We hope the presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan will agree to meet in the near future
to continue the constructive dialogue begun at their summit last
November. It also is important that both governments support Track
II efforts to build people to people contacts between Azerbaijanis
and Armenians. These kinds of confidence building measures can help
to prepare citizens of both countries for peace," Rubin said.
He also noted that the U.S. is troubled by the recent 3 arrest of
well-known journalist Rauf Mirkadirov, the subsequent investigation of
Leyla Yunus and her husband Arif Yunusov. All three have been strong
proponents of the Track II process and the Azerbaijani government's
actions will have a chilling effect on any contact between Azerbaijanis
and Armenians.
Source: Panorama.am
23:30 12/06/2014 >> LAW
The US Congressional Commission on Security and Cooperation in
Europe, known as the Helsinki Commission, June 11, strongly urged the
Azerbaijani government to fulfill its obligations on human rights and
greater democracy, instead of heading further towards authoritarianism,
the Azerbaijani news agency Turan reports.
Senator Benjamin Cardin, a Maryland Democrat and chairman of the
Helsinki Commission, stated Washington has significant concerns
regarding Azerbaijan's domestic political situation, which, as Senator
Cardin put it, "is troubling because Azerbaijan is moving in the wrong
direction." According to the Senator along with the consistently seen
problems with freedom of the media and association, last two years
have marked a high number of arrests and convictions of activists that
had all been the hallmark signs of politically motivated prosecutions.
"Our concern is that rather than working to live up to its commitments
in the OSCE and the CoE, Azerbaijan is instead heading towards greater
authoritarianism," Benjamin Cardin stated and added that the U.S.
wants to see a stable and prosperous Azerbaijan. But absent real
democratic progress, there will not be seen true stability and
development there.
Speaking in front of the commission Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
Thomas Melia, who has been refused to enter Azerbaijan last September,
underlined the importance of the democracy in dialogues between the
two countries, saying that he "would like to visit Azerbaijan again
soon to continue these dialogues"
According to Melia the situation of civil liberties in Azerbaijan
has steadily worsened over the past five years and continues to
deteriorate. In 2009, it was already difficult for advocates of
democratic reform - especially opposition political parties - to
participate in the political life of the country, but it was still
possible for NGOs and independent activists to operate.
As Melia notes, the situation has worsened significantly since then
while the suppression of peaceful dissent increased in 2011, with
the arrests of young Azerbaijani activists who sought to organize
peaceful pro-democracy rallies in Baku. Since early 2013, the space
for peaceful dissents has narrowed more dramatically, and the exercise
of fundamental freedoms has become still more tenuous. A number of
leading peaceful democracy advocates, civil society activists, and
journalists have been incarcerated.
"Restrictions on the ability of selected Azerbaijani activists to
travel outside of the country are also a problem, calling into question
the extent of the government's commitment to freedom of movement, a
founding tenet of the OSCE," Melia said, reminding, that since 2006,
the government has prevented the foreign travel of Popular Front
Party Chairman Ali Karimli by refusing to renew his passport.
"Today in Bern, the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights is discussing the important role of human rights defenders in
OSCE participating States. Unfortunately, one of Azerbaijan's leading
human rights defenders, Leyla Yunus, was unable to attend the event,
because Azerbaijan's authorities confiscated her passport - as well
as her husband's - in April. On April 19 well-known journalist Rauf
Mirkadirov was arrested. All three have been strong proponents of
people-to-people diplomacy, which helps build ties between Azerbaijanis
and Armenians and is crucial to the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict," Melia noted.
In his speech Eric Rubin, deputy assistant secretary of state in the
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, underscored Azerbaijan's
positive security and energy cooperation with the west, adding, that
U.S.'s strongest relationships across the globe are with democracies
and the human rights of their citizens.
Dr. Miriam Lanskoy, director for Russia and Eurasia, National Endowment
for Democracy, emphasized that the oil-reach country leadership
"changes the subject" of human rights to divert attention away,
"no follow through" on commitments to OSCE.
Nevertheless Azerbaijan is about to host the OSCE PA at the end of
the month. Despite participation in these international forums, over
the last decade freedoms in Azerbaijan have declined substantially.
Overall, the country has gone from semi-free to state of consolidated
authoritarianism.
According to her recent events in Ukraine have major implications for
Azerbaijan, and are seen as part of the reason that the crackdown on
government critics has continued. The climate has also become much
more difficult for the NGOs.
Azerbaijan should be bringing its legislation in compliance with
ECHR and Venice Commission opinions rather than imposing even greater
burdens on NGOs, believes the representative of NED.
Agency notes that the Azerbaijani Ambassador to the US refused to
attend the hearing, bringing a reason that he had other meetings on
the security front.
Eric Rubin, deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of
European and Eurasian Affairs touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement in his speech.
As it is noted on the official site of Helsinki Commission Eric Rubin
said the United States is working diligently to facilitate a peaceful
settlement to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
"We are focusing on pragmatic steps to bring the sides into
negotiations on a peace agreement based on the core principles of
the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act. We hope the presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan will agree to meet in the near future
to continue the constructive dialogue begun at their summit last
November. It also is important that both governments support Track
II efforts to build people to people contacts between Azerbaijanis
and Armenians. These kinds of confidence building measures can help
to prepare citizens of both countries for peace," Rubin said.
He also noted that the U.S. is troubled by the recent 3 arrest of
well-known journalist Rauf Mirkadirov, the subsequent investigation of
Leyla Yunus and her husband Arif Yunusov. All three have been strong
proponents of the Track II process and the Azerbaijani government's
actions will have a chilling effect on any contact between Azerbaijanis
and Armenians.
Source: Panorama.am