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The Azerbaijani government continues to intimidate and imprison people and groups who criticizes the government. Peaceful protests in the centre of the city were banned and dispersed by the police with excessive use of force. Torture, especially in police custody, was frequently reported, the annual report of the international human rights organization Amnesty International reads.

“The government targeted human rights defenders and journalists for their work and subjected them to intimidation, harassment and arrest. The authorities use arrests and spurious charges to clamp down on activists and protestors,” the document said.

The organization reminds about the case of threatening of Khadija Ismayilova, investigative journalist with Radio Free Europe, as well as the arrests of Hilal Mamedov, editor of The Voice of Talysh newspaper, Zaur Gurbanli, pro-democracy campaign activist and chair of the opposition youth movement Nida and a number of other cases of violation of expression freedom.

Besides, according to the report, the NGOs working on human rights and democracy issues faced pressure and harassment and found it difficult to hold meetings or operate freely, especially outside Baku.

“Public protests continued to be banned in the centre of Baku. In November, amendments to the Criminal Code increased the maximum punishment for those organizing and participating in “unauthorized” or “banned” protests. The new sentence could be up to three years in prison and a fine of US$10,000,” the AI writes.

Peaceful assemblies were regularly dispersed with excessive force by police and those who attempted to take part in peaceful rallies faced harassment, beatings and arrest.