Turan: Azerbaijan main example of civil rights and free speech violator during OSCE meeting
Azerbaijan became the main subject of discussion at the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) of OSCE, which started in Warsaw on 21 September 2015, according to the agency Turan.
According to Turan report, Azerbaijan was the country whose name was mentioned most of all of the 57 OSCE member states as an example of a country that violates its fundamental commitments in the field of civil rights and freedom of speech. Moreover, Azerbaijan was the only country to be addressed to with a campaign in the meeting room by a group of international civil activists, who held a silent protest wearing T-shirts with political prisoners’ photos.
Human dimension is a concept covering the OSCE member states’ commitments in the field of human rights and democracy, as explained by Turan.
In its opening statement, the European Union called on Azerbaijan to abide by its international obligations to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and implement reforms to guarantee the rule of law, an independent judiciary and access to fair trials for all.
The full statement is posted on the EU website.
“We regret the government's decision to close the Office of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku. The EU strongly believes that an OSCE field presence is one of the most effective ways for the OSCE to provide support in achieving necessary reforms and promoting the modernization of the country, including in the area of democracy and fundamental freedoms,” the EU said.
The EU representative pointed out that the upcoming Parliamentary elections on 1 November 2015 are an opportunity for Azerbaijan to implement the recommendations by OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).
“We deeply regret that Azerbaijan placed restrictions on ODIHR’s planned election observation for the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. We share the view expressed by ODIHR that the insistence on a restricted number of observers is directly counter to OSCE commitments and in contradiction to ODIHR’s election observation mandate. This insistence has compelled ODIHR to cancel its election observation mission. We call on Azerbaijan to engage in discussions with ODIHR on how ODIHR can provide assistance to Azerbaijan in the implementation of its election-related and other OSCE commitments,” the EU said.
David J. Kramer, the U.S. Head of Delegation, also referred to Azerbaijan in his opening plenary statement. He said the massive crackdown on civil society in Azerbaijan is alarming. “Human rights activists, journalists and defense lawyers have been interrogated and incarcerated, and the health of several of those imprisoned is rapidly deteriorating,” he added. The full text of the statement is available http://osce.usmission.gov/sep_21_15_hdim_opening.html on the website of the U.S. Mission to the OSCE.
On 10 September 2015, the European Parliament passed a resolution that calls for targeted sanctions against Azerbaijani officials violating human rights. The draft was prepared by ALDE group and sparked a heated debate over the issue of putting it to the vote. The resolution was eventually passed by a vote of 365-202, with 72 abstentions. Later, on September 11, the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan said Azerbaijan will reconsider its relations with the EU. Malena Mard, the head of the European Union Delegation in Azerbaijan, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry.
Azerbaijan’s Parliamentary elections are scheduled on 1 November 2015. There were recent local reports about the authorities faking a growth of the number of “independent” candidates for the elections. The international agencies reportedly took up rather stern stance regarding the upcoming parliamentary elections. On 11 September 2015, Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), announced that, due to restrictions imposed by the Azerbaijani authorities, ODIHR had no choice but to cancel its mission to observe the country’s parliamentary elections. Earlier, ODIHR had reported about its intention to send 380 observers to Azerbaijan.
Related:
OSCE cancels deployment of ODIHR’s observation mission for parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan
Turan: Azerbaijani authorities close OSCE office in Baku and provoke tightening of relations with West
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