Brussels, 05/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - On 13 May, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle underlined their concern about the intensified crackdown on human rights and reconciliation activists in Azerbaijan. They said they were “deeply concerned” at the detention of journalist Rauf Mirkadirov on 19 April and by the circumstances of the interrogation of human rights defenders Arif Yunus and Leyla Yunus on 29 April.
Noting that the steps taken by the Azerbaijani authorities in recent weeks seemed to target civil society activists, Ashton and Füle called on the government to promote a national discourse “in a spirit of inclusivity, in line with its responsibility as the incoming Chair of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers”. Azerbaijan will take over the presidency of this committee on 14 May until November 2014. “In particular, the EU urges the government of Azerbaijan to honour the obligations and commitments Azerbaijan subscribed to as a member of the Council of Europe and to act upon the recommendations of the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks in his recently published report on Azerbaijan”, added Ashton and Füle's spokespersons in a press release.
On 29 April, Muiznieks called on Azerbaijan to guarantee freedom of expression, association and assembly, and to stop the pressure against human rights defenders. (CG)