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‘Banned without explanation’: The special prohibitions faced by Azerbaijan’s ‘political prisoners’

11 December 2018 by Gulnur Kazimova

A poster saying ‘Freedom to political prisoners’ (Voice of America)

While Azerbaijan’s author­i­ties deny that there are political prisoners in the country’s prisons at all — local and inter­na­tion­al rights groups disagree. Many former prisoners and their families complain that those locked up on political grounds face not only an unjust depri­va­tion of their liberty, but special pro­hi­bi­tions such as on reading and speaking with their families.   [Read more…]

Filed Under: Society, Top Tagged With: afgan mukhtarli, Azerbaijan, human rights, Ilkin Rustamzadeh, İlkin Rüstəmzadə, mukhtarli, political prisoners

EU criticises elite corruption, lack of skilled staff and more in Georgia AA report

15 November 2018 by Dato Parulava

The European Par­lia­ment (Dato Parulava /OC Media)

The European Par­lia­ment has expressed concerns over high-level cor­rup­tion, human rights pro­tec­tion, labour safety, judicial inde­pen­dence, and more in Georgia in a report on the imple­men­ta­tion of the country’s EU Asso­ci­a­tion Agreement. Despite crit­i­cisms, the report’s summary said overall assess­ment of the imple­men­ta­tion process was positive. [Read more…]

Filed Under: News Stories Tagged With: afgan mukhtarli, association agreement, corruption, EU, georgia, human rights, labour rights

Opinion | The EU Parliament makes it clear — no deal for Azerbaijan unless it improves its rights record

6 July 2018 by Philippe Dam

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev (L) arrives for a meeting with European Com­mis­sion President Jean-Claude Juncker at the EU Com­mis­sion head­quar­ters in Brussels, Belgium on February 6, 2017. (François Lenoir /Reuters)

Philippe Dam is advocacy director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights Watch.

The European Par­lia­ment, the EU’s elected rep­re­sen­ta­tives, have made clear they will not ratify a deal with Azer­bai­jan unless it improves it’s human rights record. The European Com­mis­sion should now follow through with a clear message — Azerbaijan’s crackdown on dissent must end and political prisoners freed.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Opinion & Analysis Tagged With: afgan mukhtarli, Azerbaijan, civil society, european commission, european union, media freedom, mehman huseynov, political prisoners

Activists mark 1 year since kidnapping of Azerbaijani journalist Mukhtarli in Tbilisi

29 May 2018 by OC Media

(Shota Kincha/OC Media)

Dozens gathered outside Tbilisi’s Par­lia­ment building on Tuesday to mark a year since Azer­bai­jani jour­nal­ist Afgan Mukhtarli was abducted in Tbilisi. Mukhtarli was sentenced to six years in prison by an Azer­bai­jani court on charges rights groups say are trumped-up. [Read more…]

Filed Under: News Stories Tagged With: afgan mukhtarli, Azerbaijan, georgia, mukhtarli

The Afgan Mukhtarli case: an investigation stalled?

2 May 2018 by Gulnur Kazimova

A screen­shot from the February interview with Afgan Mukhtarli (/Rustavi 2)

Since exiled Azer­bai­jani jour­nal­ist Afgan Mukhtarli dis­ap­peared from Tbilisi, reap­pear­ing a day later in an Azer­bai­jani jail, sus­pi­cions of Georgian involve­ment in his kid­nap­ping have remained. Mukhtarli himself has accused the Georgian gov­ern­ment of com­plic­i­ty, and while this is a charge they deny, local rights groups are becoming impatient with the pace and trans­paren­cy of the official inves­ti­ga­tion into his dis­ap­pear­ance.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Society, Top Tagged With: abduction, afgan mukhtarli, Azerbaijan, bodzina ivanishvili, georgia, giorgi kvirikashvili, ilham aliyev, interview, investigation, journalist, kidnapping

Azerbaijani court rejects appeal by abducted journalist Afgan Mukhtarli

25 April 2018 by OC Media

Afgan Mukhtarli (Facebook)

An Azer­bai­jani court rejected an appeal by abducted jour­nal­ist Afgan Mukhtarli on Wednesday, upholding his 6-year prison sentence. The day before the hearing, one of his lawyers had his license suspended for ‘politi­cis­ing the case’.   [Read more…]

Filed Under: News Stories Tagged With: abduction, afgan mukhtarli, appeal, Azerbaijan, əfqan muxtarlı, georgia, journalist, prison

The EaP Summit promised no ‘golden carrot’ — what should Georgia do?

2 March 2018 by Dato Parulava

The European Par­lia­ment (Dato Parulava /OC Media)

The latest Eastern Part­ner­ship summit offered little to Georgia, raising questions as to what to do next. While officials in Brussels mostly advise patience, dis­cus­sion in Georgia abound on the best way to attract the EU’s attention further. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Opinion & Analysis Tagged With: afgan mukhtarli, Ana Gomes, brussels, Clare Moody, eastern partnership, EU, eu-georgia, eu-integration, foreign policy, georgia, Heidi Hautala, integration, mukhtarli, mustafa emre çabuk, rebecca harms, sergi kapanadze, The European Parliament

Azerbaijan under fire over sentencing of abducted journalist Mukhtarli

15 January 2018 by OC Media

Afgan Mukhtarli (Facebook)

The EU, US, OSCE, and local and inter­na­tion­al rights groups have urged Azer­bai­jani author­i­ties to release Azer­bai­jani jour­nal­ist Afgan Mukhtarli, who was sentenced on 12 January to 6 years in prison. Georgian author­i­ties have also faced criticism for a the slow pace of the inves­ti­ga­tion into his abduction from Tbilisi. [Read more…]

Filed Under: News Stories Tagged With: abduction, afgan mukhtarli, Azerbaijan, EU, freedom of media, freedom of speech, georgia, journalist, media, mukhtarli, osce, tbilisi

Azerbaijan sentences abducted journalist Afgan Mukhtarli to 6 years

12 January 2018 by OC Media

Afgan Mukhtarli (Leyla Mustafaeva's Facebook)

Azer­bai­jani jour­nal­ist Afgan Mukhtarli, who was abducted in Georgia last May, was sentenced to 6 years in prison by an Azer­bai­jani court on 12 January. He was convicted of smuggling €10,000 ($11,200) in cash, border trespass, and dis­obey­ing border guards. [Read more…]

Filed Under: News Stories Tagged With: abduction, afgan mukhtarli, asylum, Azerbaijan, border, freedom of media, georgia, journalist, kidnapping, protest, rally, security service

A government’s fear or bargaining chips — Political prisoners in Azerbaijan

25 December 2017 by Gulnur Kazimova

Leyla Mustafaye­va with her daughter.

The number of political prisoners in Azer­bai­jan is among the highest in Europe. This repres­sion serves not only as a tactic of intim­i­dat­ing jour­nal­ists, activists, and the oppo­si­tion, but also an instru­ment of foreign policy. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Society, Top Tagged With: afgan mukhtarli, Azerbaijan, freedom of expression, freedom of media, freedom of speech, human rights, journalists, khadija ismayilova, leyla mustafayeva, media, mukhtarli, political prisoners

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