Brussels, 29/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - In a letter of 17 February, which was published on 29 February to coincide with the visit of High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini to Azerbaijan, six human rights associations called on her to insist to Azerbaijan's authorities that journalists and human rights supporters be released.
Front Line Defenders, Human Rights House Foundation, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights, International Partnership for Human Rights, and World Organisation Against Torture call on Mogherini to make the negotiations on bringing the EU and Baku politically and economically closer together (“including through the strategic modernisation partnership agreement”) conditional on concrete measures from the government to remedy the human rights “crisis” in Azerbaijan. The six organisations mention the following measures: the immediate and unconditional release of all those wrongfully imprisoned, and repealing new legislation on NGOs that is “excessively restrictive”.
The organisations also regret that despite the EU publishing “statements expressing concern about many of the politically motivated arrests and convictions, it has yet to develop a firm, collective and principled response to this ongoing crackdown” in Azerbaijan. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)