“However, the actual reason for sentencing the men was their participation in the political manifestations which took place in the city of Ismailly at the beginning of 2013”, says Dominika Bychawska-Sinarska, Coordinator of the programme Europe of Human Rights. “In early 2013, people took to the streets to protest against social inequalities and abuses of public power”, explains Ms Bychawska-Sinarska. Azerbaijani NGOs report that the protests had already ceased by the time the accused arrived in Ismailly. So far both men have spent 13 months in detention.
Although Azerbaijan is to take the leadership in the Council of Europe in May this year, the country has a record of failures in meeting human rights protection standards on its own soil. According to the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety, a local watchdog NGO, nine journalists, three human rights defenders and five social activists dealing with freedom of speech are currently awaiting criminal sentences in Azerbaijan.
“We hope that the above information will persuade Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take action, in particular by unambiguously condemning the practices of Azerbaijani authorities at the international level”, reads the HFHR’s statement.
