European Parliament members support Azerbaijani political prisoners wearing T-shirts with their pictures
During the June 8 plenary session in the European Parliament, a group of deputies held an action: 'Human rights and the Baku games' calling for the release of the human rights defenders and journalists arrested in Azerbaijan. The action was initiated by Ulrike Lunacek, the Vice President and Green Member of the European Parliament, the Azerbaijani information agency Turan reports.
According to Turan, at the session opening the group of the deputies wore T-shirts emblazoned with the Azerbaijani political prisoners’ photos -- Leyla Yunus, Khadija Ismayilova, Anar Mammadli, Rasul Jafarov, Intigam Aliyev and Emin Huseynov. Later Lunacek made a speech saying that Europe cannot ignore the problem of the political prisoners and urged to adopt a special EP resolution on the issue. She said that there are more than 100 political prisoners in Azerbaijan and that all the rights and freedoms were violated. She recommended the politicians from her country and the representatives of the National Olympic Committee of Austria not to go to Baku.
On the eve of the session, prominent human rights organizations Amnesty International, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch and the Norwegian Foundation Human Rights House issued a joint statement expressing their concern over the crackdowns on the civil society in Azerbaijan ahead of the European Games, Turan writes.
Earlier, the international sport organization focused on human rights Sport for Rights Coalition and its members in a joint letter called on representatives of European National Olympic Committees to pay attention to the unprecedented and mounting crackdown in Azerbaijan, which has resulted in dozens of political arrests, including prominent journalists, human rights defenders, and political activists.
''In the run-up to the European Games, which will take place in Baku from 12-28 June, we ask you to publicly support the Azerbaijani people and their rights to free expression, association, and other fundamental freedoms,'' the letter reads.
It is noted in the letter that last summer, a group of Azerbaijani human rights activists launched the Sport for Rights campaign. The campaign has a simple objective: to draw attention to the human rights situation in Azerbaijan in the context of the European Games. As evidenced by hundreds of credible reports by media outlets, NGOs and governments, the response of the Azerbaijani government to the very idea of this peaceful and legitimate initiative has been truly unprecedented repression. Since August 2014, the Azerbaijani authorities have undertaken a major crackdown on government critics, resulting in arrests, trumped-up criminal convictions, and prison sentences for key activists, as well as the closure of dozens of civil society organizations and outlets. The authorities continue to stifle dissent and clamp down on critics. Among them, the Azerbaijani activist Rasul Jafarov, the leading human rights defender Intigam Aliyev, Leyla Yunus, journalist Khadija Ismayilova and others.
Related:
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