Your trusted source

 Amnesty International has urged the world community to act over continuing human rights violations in Azerbaijan, “Radio Liberty” Azerbaijani service said.

The human rights group released a report which targets harassments against opposition and social activists, violation against journalists.

In its report The Spring That Never Blossomed: Freedoms Suppressed in Azerbaijan, Amnesty details what it calls "a wave of intimidation and arrests" after mass street protests in the former Soviet republic in March and April.

It says that 14 activists and members of opposition political parties have since been convicted on charges of "organising public disorder".

In all, the rights groups says it considers 17 convicted people to be prisoners of conscience.

Amnesty also blames the government in Baku for banning public protests, harassing independent bloggers and using criminal and civil defamation charges to silence critical media.