U.S. embassy in Baku condemns arrests of oppositionistsApril 5, 2011 - 10:21 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The embassy of the United States expressed its concerns about actions taken by the government of Azerbaijan to prevent the peaceful assembly of opposition groups in central Baku on April 2, including the detention of opposition activists in the days before the planned protests. “The U.S. calls on the government of Azerbaijan to respect the rights of all its citizens to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, which are guaranteed under the Azerbaijani Constitution and international human rights instruments, including OSCE commitments,” the embassy said in a statement. “Respect for these rights is essential for promoting the sort of dialogue between citizens and their government that forms the basis for positive change and the deeper development of a culture of democracy in any society. We call for those detained in association with demonstrations to be afforded due process under the law, with open and transparent hearings and adequate access to legal counsel.” Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Armenia to participate in key EU meeting for the first time ever National Assembly speaker Alen Simonyan has said that Armenia will for the first time participate in the Conference. U.S. reacts to Russia’s criticism of upcoming Armenia-EU-U.S. meeting Matthew Miller has weighed in on Russia’s criticism of an upcoming Armenia-EU-U.S. meeting. Lavrov sees ‘collapse’ of Russia’s ties with Armenia Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has underscored heightened tensions between Russia and Armenia. Russia warns Armenia against “falling into West’s trap” Zakharova maintained, however, that anything that will benefit the people of Armenia can only be welcomed. |