Amnesty International has once again reported on the intensification of political repression and human rights violations in Azerbaijan
The international human rights organization Amnesty International has noted in its new report on Azerbaijan that there are no signs of improvement in the human rights situation in the country. The document states that repression and torture are used against human rights defenders and journalists.
“Peaceful protests and expression of opinion have been effectively banned in the country for over a decade. Torture and other forms of ill-treatment in places of detention are widespread. Victims do not have access to a fair trial,” the report says.
It is noted that human rights defenders and government critics – Anar Mammadli, Gubad Ibadoglu, Tofig Yagublu, Rufat Safarov, Iqbal Abilov and Bahruz Samadov – have been arrested without cause. The recent arrest of six Meydan TV journalists is also mentioned.
Amnesty International found that almost all critics of the Azerbaijani government report torture and ill-treatment in prisons. These complaints are not effectively investigated. The report calls on the international community to “strongly condemn the systematic and serious human rights violations in Azerbaijan.”
