Human Rigths House in Azerbaijan opened doors on 25 April (pictures)

On Saturday, 25 April, a symbolic ceremony marked the opening of the Human Rights House in Baku. Ambassadors of Norway and Great Britain, representatives from the OSCE, US Embassy, Swiss Embassy and the European Union as well as local human rights defenders, Turan Agency and American Bar Association came to mark this significant event.

Ion Ramberg, Norwegian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, stressed the NGOs important role in building of the state and development of civil society. He interpreted the opening of the Human Rights House as a new stage of development of the Norwegian-Azerbaijani relationship.

"Development of the state is impossible without development of the civil society. Basis of each state is development of free society and freedom of speech. Nobody likes criticism, but without it none of the governments can be effective. Criticism eliminates abuses and creates transparency,” said the Ambassador.

He added that the Norwegian government supports the Human Rights House because they have common goals – protection of human rights and democratic freedoms. Ion Ramberg said that Norway backs the development of democracy in Azerbaijan and assists the government in its fulfillment of international obligations.

In her speach, Maria Dahle, Executive Director of the Human Rights House Foundation, the Secretariat of the Human Rights House Network, said that four years ago, when they started the creation of a regional human rights network, the situation in the country was better. “We know you need our support in protection of human rights in Azerbaijan,” she said. “As a human rights defender I understand the importance of protection of such principles as freedom of expression and assembly and access to information.”

Maria Dahle also thanked coordinator Shahla Ismailova and her family for their contributions to making this Human Rights House a reality.

Barys Zvozskau, President of the Belarusian Human Rights House in exile in Lithuania, and a representative of the Human Rights House Network, attended the opening.

Human Rights Houses in the Network sent their greetings and wishes to the human rights defenders in Azerbaijan. The greeting letters of the Belarusian HRH in exile in Vilnius, HRH Sarajevo, HRH Skopje, HRH Bergen, HRH Oslo, HRH Moscow and HRH Warsaw were read by Ane Tusvik Bonde, project manager of the Human Rights House Foundation, responsible for Eastern Europe and Caucasus.

The Baku Human Rights House is located at 30 Jafar Jabbarly street.

About Human Rights House Network

The Norwegian Human Rights House, uniting several human rights NGOs, was opened in Oslo in 1989. It became the first Human Rights House in the Human Rights House Network.

The Network now unites Human Rights Houses in Bergen, Oslo, London, Vilnius, Warsaw, Moscow, Sarajevo, Zagreb, Skopje, Nairobi, Kampala and Baku.

The Human Rights House Network protects, strengthens and supports human rights organisations locally and unites them in an international network of Human Rights Houses.

Human Rights House Foundation, located in Oslo, Norway and Geneva, Switzerland, is the Secretariat of the Human Rights House Network.

Moments from the opening: