Human Rights Watch slams Azeri govt’s crackdown on media, NGOsJanuary 27, 2016 - 18:26 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Azerbaijani government’s unrelenting crackdown is decimating the country’s once vibrant community of independent nongovernmental organizations and media, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday, January 27 in its World Report 2016. Courts have sentenced leading human rights defenders and other government critics to long prison terms in politically motivated, unfair trials. Dozens more face harassment and prosecution, and the authorities have denied entry to international human rights monitors and journalists. The crackdown escalated in 2015 and continued as Baku hosted the first European Games in June. Azerbaijan’s international partners struggled to find a unified response to the crackdown. “The government’s crackdown in Azerbaijan is unprecedented in the country’s post-Soviet history,” said Giorgi Gogia, South Caucasus director at Human Rights Watch. “Although the government is opening the country for international sporting and other events, it’s closing the country to human rights scrutiny.” Among those handed prison sentences ranging from six to eight-and-a-half years are the human rights lawyer Intigam Aliyev, the veteran human rights defenders Leyla and Arif Yunus, the prominent investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova, and the human rights campaigner Rasul Jafarov. Others imprisoned on politically motivated charges include the Azadlig columnist Seymur Haziyev, and opposition party activists Siraj and Faraj Kerimlis, and Murad Adilov. Taleh Khasmammadov, a human rights activist, was sentenced to three years. In December, an appeal court released the Yunuses on five years probation because of their serious health ailments. In addition to banning several international monitors and journalists from entering the country during 2015, the government forced the closure of the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE)’s Baku office. The OSCE for the first time refused to send an observation mission to Azerbaijan’s parliamentary elections, citing the restrictions on the mission. Several Council of Europe institutions spoke out strongly about the crackdown, but failed for the most part to impose any consequences. Finally in December, the Council of Europe’s secretary general, Thorbjørn Jagland, announced an inquiry into Azerbaijan’s implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights. He said it was triggered by European Court of Human Rights findings on “an arbitrary application of the law in Azerbaijan, notably in order to silence critical voices and limit freedom of speech.” Photo. Reuters 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 | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |