Civic Solidarity Platform membersregret thatduring her recent visit to Central Asia the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs did not publicly engage on human rights issues in a more substantive manner. This is particularly disappointing as the EU is about to receive the Nobel Peace Price for its ‘advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights’. Between 27 and 30 November 2012, Baroness Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, undertook her first official visit to four of the five Central Asian republics:...


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FB Digest@VoxPOPULI   “The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe certainly cannot be blackmailed. The conditions are crystal clear. Azerbaijan must comply with all the rules of the Parliamentary Assembly without any ifs and buts...” (Lack of) Human Rights and Freedoms On September 12, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes reviewed and denied the petition to release activist Famil Khalilov, a first-degree disabled person, under house arrest. He has been on a hunger strike for 30 days in protest against his imprisonment. Khalilov, who was arrested on May 2, has been charged...


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FB Digest@VoxPOPULI   “Those who detain us belong to Prison. No one can silence free media...” (Lack of) Human Rights and Freedoms Another activist, Nijat Ibrahim, was not allowed to leave Azerbaijan on September 6. He was not permitted to board the flight to Chișinău at the border checkpoint of Baku International Airport. 'We were traveling as a family to Chișinău, but I was stopped at the border checkpoint and told that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had placed a "stop" on my departure,' he told Turan. Ibrahim's wife and two young daughters were allowed to leave. 'My family...


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FB Digest@VoxPOPULI   “These elections took place in a restrictive political and legal environment, the consequence of which was a lack of political pluralism coupled with the subdued and low-key campaign, all of which undermined the electoral process...” (Lack of) Human Rights and Freedoms Lawyer Rufat Safarov stated that Sweden's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mr. Tobias Lorentzson, met with the family of prisoner of conscience Famil Khalilov. Diplomats from the embassies of Latvia and Estonia in Azerbaijan also attended the meeting. First-degree disabled person Famil Khalilov was deported...


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FB Digest@VoxPOPULI   “As long as the "iron fist" hovers like a nightmare over the Azerbaijani people, things could get even worse...” (Lack of) Human Rights and Freedoms Jailed academician Fazil Gasimov’s brother Nazim Gasimov shared concerning news about the health condition of his brother. According to him, Fazil Gasimov Fazil Gasimov, who has been on a hunger strike for several weeks in protest of his wrongful arrest, is now unable to walk or speak due to severe weight loss. Nazim Gasimov: “I went to visit Fazil. Since Fazil was too weak to come to the meeting, they took...


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