PACE co-rapporteurs call upon Azerbaijani authorities to review Mehman Huseynov’s case

The co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Azerbaijan, Sir Roger Gale (United Kingdom, EC) and Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC) have expressed their deep concern at the new charges brought against an anti-corruption Azerbaijani blogger and Chairman of the Institute for Reporters` Freedom and Safety (IRFS), Mehman Huseynov, who is currently serving the remaining two months of his two-year prison sentence.

Mehman Husejnov has been detained since March 2017 on defamation charges, after he had published a series of articles revealing cases of alleged corruption and torture by Azerbaijani officials. On 26 December 2018 he was accused of "resisting a representative of the authorities with the use of violence dangerous to his health and life", which is liable to lead to his imprisonment for up to seven years.

"Unfortunately, there are justified grounds for the assumption that these new charges are clearly politically motivated and clearly designed to further silence a prominent human rights activist whom we consider a political prisoner," said the co-rapporteurs. "Furthermore, we are alarmed by the fact that Mehman Huseynov has embarked upon a hunger strike as the only means available to him to protest about his plight," they added.

"We call upon the Azerbaijani authorities to review his case as a matter of absolute priority," they concluded.

source: commonspace.eu 

photo: Mehman Husseynov (archive picture)

 

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
Borrell tells the European Parliament that the situation in Afghanistan was critical, but the EU will remain engaged

Borrell tells the European Parliament that the situation in Afghanistan was critical, but the EU will remain engaged

Borrell underlined that the European Union will make every effort to support the peace process and to remain a committed partner to the Afghan people. "Of course, we will have to take into account the evolving situation, but disengagement is not an option.  We are clear on that: there is no alternative to a negotiated political settlement, through inclusive peace talks.
Editor's choice
News
Trump recommends 50% tariff on the European Union, starting 1st June

Trump recommends 50% tariff on the European Union, starting 1st June

US President Donald Trump on Friday said he is “recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union” after complaining that trade negotiations have stalled. The steep new import duties would start on 1st June, Trump wrote on Truth Social. The EU “has been very difficult to deal with,” Trump wrote. “Our discussions with them are going nowhere!”

Popular

Editor's choice
News
Trump recommends 50% tariff on the European Union, starting 1st June

Trump recommends 50% tariff on the European Union, starting 1st June

US President Donald Trump on Friday said he is “recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union” after complaining that trade negotiations have stalled. The steep new import duties would start on 1st June, Trump wrote on Truth Social. The EU “has been very difficult to deal with,” Trump wrote. “Our discussions with them are going nowhere!”