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Journalists, bloggers, activists and other independent thinkers suffer severe limitations to their freedom of expression in Azerbaijan, the human rights commissioner Nils Muižnieks confirmed today at the end of his visit to Azerbaijan, the article on the site of Human Rights Europe reads.

“Releasing all persons who are in detention because of the views they hold and express should be a priority for the Azerbaijani authorities in order to protect freedom of expression,” Muižnieks said last week in Azerbaijan.

Freedom of assembly is also seriously thwarted, according to the commissioner, with restrictions in practice going well beyond those which are permissible according to human rights standards.

Noting the announced publication by the authorities of a list of locations where demonstrations will be authorised, the commissioner called for these to include adequate locations in the centre of Baku and other cities, as a first step towards a better enjoyment of the right to freedom of assembly by the Azerbaijani population.

The Commissioner also encouraged the authorities to bring the long-standing work on the reform of defamation legislation to a successful conclusion, by ensuring that it provides for defamation to be dealt with through proportionate fines and not imprisonment.
The Commissioner for Human Rights called on the President of Azerbaijan not to sign these amendments into law.