IODHRA reports pressure on human rights activists in Azerbaijan

Obstacles in the activities of NGOs and the work of human rights activists who bear pressure were discovered in 2011 in Azerbaijan, annual report of International Observatory for Defense of Human Rights Activists runs.

On December, 27, a presentation of the Russian version of this report was held in the office of Center of Media Rights in Baku. According to the report of International Observatory for Defense of Human Rights Activists (IODHRA), the authorities of Azerbaijan have practically equated the human rights activists with members of the opposition which was clearly manifested in process of monitoring of the parliamentary election of 2010 by human rights activists and violations of human rights committed during suppression of demonstrations in March and April, 2011.

Eldar Zeinalov, Director of Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan (HRCA), pointed out at the presentation of the survey that facts of pressure on human rights activists, journalists and lawyers in Azerbaijan during the period from November, 2010, till April, 2011 were described in the report.

It was mentioned in the repot that the election in November was "not democratic, there was a limitation of freedom of press and assembly, violations in registration of the candidates which weakened the opposition and made free political expression of popular will practically impossible".

A special emphasis was made in the report on the authorities' refusal to register the Center of election monitoring and learning democracy (CEMLD) as an independent observant body.

Among the facts of pressure on the human rights activists it was specially marked out that nobody was brought to account for the death of human rights activist Novruzali Mamedov, Head of Talysh cultural center who died in prison "under vague circumstances". The report runs that he was unlawfully sentenced to 10 years of custody for accusation of "high treason".

Among other facts of pressure on the human rights activists the arrest of Vidady Iskanderov, Head of NGO "Defense of Democracy", who when monitoring protest actions of the opposition repeatedly underwent detentions and administrative arrests. He was finally made criminally liable for accusation of unlawful interference in the process of parliamentary election of November, 7, 2007, and later sentenced to three years of custody.

In March and April of 2011 the authorities of Azerbaijan refused to authorize oppositional meetings which is estimated as a gross violation of freedom of assembly, the report runs.

Head of HRCA Zeinalov also took cognizance of the facts of pressure on lawyers representing the interests of oppositionists and critics of the ruling regime mentioned in the report. In particular, discharge of lawyer Osman Kyazimov and refusal to admit a well-known lawyer Intigam Aliev to the Bar was mentioned.

Special attention was paid in the report to restriction of the activities of NGOs and suspension of work of Norwegian foundation "House of Human Rights" and American National Democratic Institute by the authorities.

Violation of the rights of human rights activists and journalists, in particular, Malakhat and Ilgar Nasibov, Elman Abbasov and Hyakimeldostu Mehtiev is specially marked out in the report.

"Outburst of corruption with arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and ill-treatment prisoners is going on in the country. All these malusage remains unpunished as before. Several tens political prisoners are still in custody", the report of IODHRA runs.

The human rights activists of Azerbaijan who were present at the presentation shared the concern of the authors of the survey. They are particularly worried about the increase of the number of political prisoners during the past year. The human rights activists expressed their disappointment with the President's decree of clemency signed on December, 26, which, in their opinion, did not solve the problem of political prisoners. A monitoring group of human rights centers of Azerbaijan considers that this decree became "one more wasted opportunity".