Azerbaijan: Amnesty International slams Baku for dissent clampdown
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 7 May 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Azerbaijan: Amnesty International slams Baku for dissent clampdown, 7 May 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/53a138825.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
May 07, 2014
Amnesty International has criticized Azerbaijani authorities for human rights abuses as Baku gets ready to assume the six-month chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 14 May 2014.
In the statement issued on May 6, the day when a Baku court sentenced eight NIDA youth movement activists to prison terms between six and eight years, Denis Krivosheev, Deputy Director of the Amnesty's Europe and Central Asia Program said "this verdict is an affront to human rights and a timely reminder of Azerbaijan's continued refusal to respect basic freedoms."
The eight NIDA activists were found guilty of organizing mass disorders, and illegal drugs and weapons possession.
Their supporters staged a protest near the court house in Baku after the sentences were pronounced. Police violently dispersed the protest, detaining at least 26 people, including a journalist.
Based on the AI statement
Link to original story on RFE/RL website