EU foreign policy chief concerned about situation in AzerbaijanMay 21, 2011 - 14:49 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, issued a statement on Azerbaijan. “I am increasingly concerned about the situation in Azerbaijan regarding the respect for human rights. The recent sentencing of two youth activists, Mr. Jabbar Savalan and Mr Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, on May 4 and May 18 respectively, is of concern to us. In both cases the circumstances give reason to assume that the judicial proceedings were overshadowed by political motivations,” she said. “We call upon Azerbaijan to fully respect fundamental freedoms and to guarantee the due application of the rule of law according to international standards to which Azerbaijan has committed itself. We also call on Azerbaijan to provide for a fair and swift revision of the verdicts.” 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 | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |