Opposition: increase of suicides is linked with unaddressed social problems and human rights violations

In the last five years, Azerbaijan has seen a steadily increasing number of suicides, about 80 percent of which are caused by social problems, bureaucratic arbitrariness and human rights violations. This was announced on February 12 at a public hearing in Baku, organized by the oppositional National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF), the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

According to Shakhveled Chobanoglu, an investigative journalist, Azerbaijan watches a steady growth of suicides since 2008, when 138 suicides were committed, then, in 2009 – 165; in 2010 – 289; in 2011 – 414; and in 2012 – 482 suicides.

According to the psychologist Azad Isazade, people in Azerbaijan often resort to suicide in protest against injustice, unresolved social problems and deprivation of livelihood. Only 10-15 percent of self-killers are mentally ill people, in other cases suicides are committed in protest against hopelessness.

The lawyer Namizad Safarov, a member of the NCDF, said that impunity promotes the growth of the count of suicides. According to his story, in 90 percent of cases, no one was made responsible for bringing victims to suicide.

Experts also note that the growing number of suicides results from a deep social stratification in the society, squandering of those in power; while much of the population is on the brink of survival.

Following the discussions, it was decided to appeal to the people of Azerbaijan not to give up in life, fight for their rights and make joint efforts towards democratic change in the country.