"The increasing repression faced by journalists and civil society members in Azerbaijan is reason for deep concern", says the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, referring to the arrests, detentions and judicial harassment that are stifling freedom of expression in the country.
"In recent months, the Azerbaijani authorities have intensified the crackdown on independent media, civil society and activists who were legitimately carrying their work or manifesting dissenting opinions or critical views of the government.
I urge the Azerbaijani government to take decisive steps to ensure full respect of its human rights obligations. This would require the release of all those, including journalists and civil society activists, who were imprisoned for their legitimate work or for expressing dissenting or critical opinions, and creating an enabling environment for the activities of journalists, civil society and human rights defenders, including in relation to their enjoyment of the rights to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly."
