Ahead of Donald Trump's meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev scheduled for August 8, Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed serious concerns about the human rights situation in Azerbaijan.
HRW reminded that the desire for a peace agreement between Yerevan and Baku should not obscure the human rights violations that have been observed in Azerbaijan, especially since late 2023. This includes large-scale pressure on independent media, the opposition, and NGOs, including the closure of editorial offices and the arrest of journalists and activists whom human rights activists consider political prisoners.
In the Abzas Media and Radio Liberty case alone, 7 people were sentenced to long terms in Baku in June. HRW calls on Trump to use the meeting with Aliyev to demand the immediate release of these prisoners and emphasize the need to respect fundamental freedoms for further cooperation.
