14 May 2014. Johannesburg. Azerbaijan has been urged to stop the intimidation and judicial harassment of human rights defenders as it assumes the chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 14 May.
The call, by global civil society alliance, CIVICUS and Azerbaijan-based Center for National and International Studies (CNIS), comes in the face of persecution by the government of leaders of several prominent civil society organisations (CSOs) in apparent reprisals for critically analysing the presidential elections. Other activists are being held on different charges to discredit their credibility.
“Azerbaijani authorities have severely escalated repression since the re-election of President Ilham Aliyev in October 2013. Numerous activists have been arrested and detained merely for speaking out against the government’s poor human rights record,” said Leila Alieva, President of CNIS. “These actions are a matter of serious concern as the European system is underpinned by a commitment to uphold human rights standards.”
Among those targeted are Anar Mammadli and Bashir Suleymanli, chair and executive director respectively of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (EMDSC) and Elnur Mammadov, president of the Volunteers of International Cooperation Public Union (VIC), facing prosecution on a number of questionable charges, including tax evasion and abuse of office. Their trial commenced on 28 April 2014 and if convicted they face up to 12 years in prison.
Omar Mamedov, critical blogger and co-founder of the youth movement, ‘Akhyn’ is currently facing trial on “drug trafficking” charges. Mamedov whose trial began on 13 May has been in detention since 24 January 2014. He is among several activists being held on drug related charges to undermine their credibility. On 6 May, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced eight members of the NIDA Civic Movement to between six and eight years in prison. The activists, who were charged with intending to cause mass disorder, and possession of illegal drugs and explosives, were arrested following their participation in a peaceful demonstration in March 2013.
“With dozens of journalists, youth activists and NGO leaders behind bars, Azerbaijan is cementing its position as an extremely inhospitable environment for civil society,” said Mandeep Tiwana, Head of Policy and Research at CIVICUS. “As it assumes the chair of the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan must commit to upholding the standards enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights by releasing all human rights defenders persecuted for undertaking their legitimate work.”
CIVICUS and CNIS call on the Government of Azerbaijan to demonstrate their respect for European human rights standards and create an enabling environment for civil society, by immediately and unconditionally releasing activists imprisoned for exercising their legitimate rights to expression, association and assembly.
*Photo courtesy of Jahangir Youssouf (RFE/RL)