Human Rights Watch has called on the current leader of Europe’s leading human rights body, Azerbaijan, to end persecution of government critics and independent groups. Azerbaijan took over the leadership of the Council of Europe in Early May amid much criticism due to the country’s human rights record and ongoing human rights violations, which have been documented by international rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. In particular, Azerbaijan is criticized for its treatment of news media, government critics and independent groups. Abuse of over 40 activists, journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders has been documented by Amnesty and Human Rights
Council of Europe
Azerbaijan, Leader of Council of Europe, Called on to Address Its Human Rights Abuses
Azerbaijan Takes Chair for Council of Europe
Azerbaijan has assumed the Council of Europe chair amid a dire human rights situation within the country. The taking over of the chairmanship of the decision-making human rights institution takes place in light of Azerbaijan’s unseemly track record of human rights abuse, as highlighted in Amnesty International’s report Behind Bar’s: Silencing dissent in Azerbaijan, released recently. The report finds an trend of increased repression in Azerbaijan since the October 2013 elections, and documents “how harassment, beatings, and unfair trials, detention and imprisonment are routinely used in Azerbaijan to control and curb the voices of opposition parties, independent media outlets, and
Protest of Azerbaijan Chairmanship of Council of Europe by Amnesty International and Activists
In Azerbaijan Tuesday, European Amnesty International members and activists gathered from 2.00 to 3.00 o’clock outside the Council of Europe Chairmanship ceremony to protest human rights abuses in Azerbaijan–the country that will assume the chairmanship of the human rights decision-making institution May 14. The demonstrators called on the Azerbaijani government to assume a leadership position as Chairman in protecting human rights national and internationally. Activists also called on the Committee of Ministers to pressure Azerbaijan release its detained prisoners of conscience immediately, including NIDA activists. NIDA–which is the Azerbaijani word for “exclamation”–was founded in 2011 by a small group
