In its intervention at the United Nations Human Rights Council, HRHF expressed its deep concern that in the Republic of Azerbaijan, presidential elections of October 2013 are prepared by ensuring public silence, as reported in Human Rights Watch’s latest report “Azerbaijan: Crackdown on civil society.”
Since February 2013, leaders of opposition parties, political activists critical of the government are again and again harassed. Amongst them is Ilgar Mammdov, kept in pre-trial detention under the accusation of violating public order and instigating the citizens to conflicts during the Ismayilli incidents of 23 and 24 January 2012.
Youth activists are also targets of repression, and in particular the youth opposition movement NIDA. Since March 2013, 7 NIDA activists are kept in pre-trial detention on dubious charges of illegal weapons possession in connection with the peaceful protest of 10 March, 2013. On 13 September, the prosecutor office pro-longed the pre trail detention of the seven youth activists and Ilkin Rustamzade, member of Azad Genclik youth organization in Azerbaijan. We call upon the authorities of Azerbaijan to investigate the circumstances of their arrests, drop the charges unless credible evidence is produced that they are legitimate and justified, and release and compensate the activists.
Ahead of the elections, Azerbaijani authorities have still not registered the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre, one of the only national independent NGOs systematically monitoring elections.
HRHF welcomed the communication issued by the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of association and to peaceful assembly in regard to restrictions to freedom of association and assembly in Azerbaijan, which regrettably have not received any answer from the authorities of Azerbaijan. 8
HRHF hence called upon the authorities of Azerbaijan to stop harassment of critical voices in the country and ensure that everybody is allowed to publicly express his or her opinion about the country’s situation, including by criticising national authorities and by expressing doubts about the fairness and freeness of the presidential elections.
Documents:
- Oral statement HRC 24 on elections in Azerbaijan (September 2013)
- International NGOs urge Azerbaijan to stop continued harassment of investigative journalist
- Azerbaijan Human Rights House closed for 2 years
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Azerbaijan urged to enable role of rights defenders in run up to elections
On 4 October 2013, Three United Nations independent experts urged the Azerbaijani government to recognize and facilitate the work of human rights defenders and civil society organizations in the run up to the Presidential elections, due to take place on 9 October 2013.
“We have observed since 2011 a worrying trend of legislation which has narrowed considerably the space in which civil society and defenders operate in Azerbaijan,” the international human rights experts said in their press release. “We are very concerned about the challenging and restrictive environment which defenders and civil society currently face in the country.”
“All demonstrations complying with international human rights standards should be allowed and facilitated, and peaceful gatherings should not face the use of excessive force and administrative detention against demonstrators, even if such assemblies are not authorized,” the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly, Maina Kiai.
“In times of elections, States should make greater efforts to facilitate and protect the exercise of the core rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association,” he said, referring to the presentation of his new report to the General Assembly later this month.
