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AZERBAIJAN SETS NEW LOW FOR COUNCIL OF EUROPE: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
18:23, 12 Nov 2014
"Azerbaijan's six-month chairmanship of the Council of Europe's
Committee of Ministers comes to an end this week, and not a moment
too soon. It can be said without exaggeration that Azerbaijan's
tenure represented an assault on the institution and everything it
stands for," Giorgi Gogia, senior South Caucasus researcher at Human
Rights Watch
"Azerbaijani leadership spoke out on progressive youth policies,
while back home young activists were being jailed; it hosted a
high-level conference on the European Court of Human Rights, while
Azerbaijan's leading lawyer was arrested on bogus tax-related charges;
it also failed to implement the court's judgment finding Azerbaijan
in violation of the European Convention for imprisoning an opposition
activist on politically motivated charges," he added.
"When President Ilham Aliyev came to Strasbourg to speak to
the Parliamentary Assembly in June, he wasunrepentant. He didn't
acknowledge any human rights problems in Azerbaijan and called anyone
who challenged him liars. I was shocked listening to him, and feared
for my colleagues and friends who criticized him at home and abroad.
My worst fears came to pass: the Azerbaijani colleagues who came to
the assembly to publicize Azerbaijan's atrocious human rights record
now either languish in Azerbaijani jails, are in hiding, or have fled
the country fearing prosecution."
"Perversely, over the six months Azerbaijan headed the council it
actually stepped up its crackdown, which included the arrest of at
least 11 people and conviction of at least nine others on politically
motivated charges, sentencing them to various prison terms following
flawed trials."
"These include the country's most prominent human rights defenders,
including Leyla Yunus, and her husband, the historian Arif Yunus,
Rasul Jafarov, and Intigam Aliyev. All four are in pretrial detention
on spurious charges, ranging from tax evasion to treason."
"Azerbaijani authorities have also used restrictive new laws regulating
nongovernmental organizations and other strong-arm tactics to try to
starve independent groups of their funding in order to silence them."
"During its chairmanship, the Azerbaijani government has caused a human
rights crisis in the country and in the Council of Europe. It has put
to the test the council's standing as Europe's foremost human rights
body. The Council of Europe's leadership should condemn Baku's behavior
in the strongest possible terms and make clear that there cannot be
business as usual until those imprisoned on politically motivated
charges are freed and the crackdown brought to an end," Gogia said.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/11/12/azerbaijan-sets-new-low-for-council-of-europe-human-rights-watch/
18:23, 12 Nov 2014
"Azerbaijan's six-month chairmanship of the Council of Europe's
Committee of Ministers comes to an end this week, and not a moment
too soon. It can be said without exaggeration that Azerbaijan's
tenure represented an assault on the institution and everything it
stands for," Giorgi Gogia, senior South Caucasus researcher at Human
Rights Watch
"Azerbaijani leadership spoke out on progressive youth policies,
while back home young activists were being jailed; it hosted a
high-level conference on the European Court of Human Rights, while
Azerbaijan's leading lawyer was arrested on bogus tax-related charges;
it also failed to implement the court's judgment finding Azerbaijan
in violation of the European Convention for imprisoning an opposition
activist on politically motivated charges," he added.
"When President Ilham Aliyev came to Strasbourg to speak to
the Parliamentary Assembly in June, he wasunrepentant. He didn't
acknowledge any human rights problems in Azerbaijan and called anyone
who challenged him liars. I was shocked listening to him, and feared
for my colleagues and friends who criticized him at home and abroad.
My worst fears came to pass: the Azerbaijani colleagues who came to
the assembly to publicize Azerbaijan's atrocious human rights record
now either languish in Azerbaijani jails, are in hiding, or have fled
the country fearing prosecution."
"Perversely, over the six months Azerbaijan headed the council it
actually stepped up its crackdown, which included the arrest of at
least 11 people and conviction of at least nine others on politically
motivated charges, sentencing them to various prison terms following
flawed trials."
"These include the country's most prominent human rights defenders,
including Leyla Yunus, and her husband, the historian Arif Yunus,
Rasul Jafarov, and Intigam Aliyev. All four are in pretrial detention
on spurious charges, ranging from tax evasion to treason."
"Azerbaijani authorities have also used restrictive new laws regulating
nongovernmental organizations and other strong-arm tactics to try to
starve independent groups of their funding in order to silence them."
"During its chairmanship, the Azerbaijani government has caused a human
rights crisis in the country and in the Council of Europe. It has put
to the test the council's standing as Europe's foremost human rights
body. The Council of Europe's leadership should condemn Baku's behavior
in the strongest possible terms and make clear that there cannot be
business as usual until those imprisoned on politically motivated
charges are freed and the crackdown brought to an end," Gogia said.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/11/12/azerbaijan-sets-new-low-for-council-of-europe-human-rights-watch/