Repression escalates in run-up to European Games - International Fact-Finding Mission Report

Paris-Geneva,21 April 2015 – Repression of Azericivil society, NGOs and journalists has escalated significantly as the date ofthe Baku European Games approaches, says the Observatory for the Protection ofHuman Rights Defenders in a report published today. The report documents therepression of eight emblematic human rights defenders who have been arbitrarilydetained, and details the series of legislative amendments recently adopted tosilence independent voices.

“Mostof the high-level leaders of the independent NGOs have been arrested. Theconditions of detention are abominable and the declining health of some ofthem, such as LeylaYunus and Intigam Aliyev is of serious concern,” stated Gerald Staberock, OMCT Secretary General.

InJanuary 2015, the Observatory led a fact-finding mission to Baku to meet withcivil society organisations. Despite several requests submitted to theauthorities, the delegation was not allowed to visit the imprisoned defenders.

Inthe last two years, many former Soviet States have been severely cracked downon civil society by introducing extremely repressive policies. These policies,largely inspired by laws recently adopted in Russia, are paradoxically enforcedin contexts where states try to improve their international image, often byhosting major public events. It was the case in 2014, when Belarus hosted theWorld Hockey Championship, and in Russia with the Olympic Games in Sotchi. Itis now the case of Azerbaijan with the European Games in June 2015. Theinternational community must use this opportunity to express its concern withAzeri authorities regarding human rights abuses and the situation the peopleand organisations defending these rights face in Azerbaijan.

“We hope that the leaders of the countries participating in the EuropeanGames will take advantage of the opportunity to denounce the human rightssituation in Azerbaijan. That is why we are askingthem officially to condition their participation in the opening ceremony on the release of all imprisoned human rights defenders,” stated Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH Honorary President and head of thedelegation to Baku in January 2015. “As relations with Russia sour, Azerbaijanis becoming the cornerstone of the alternative energy road map, but this shouldnot interfere. The international community, and especially the Europeancountries, must be firm” sheadded.

InAzerbaijan, the adoption of an increasingly repressive policy is also areflection of events that have taken place on the international stage and onthe borders of Azerbaijan. The Azeri government considers the Arab Spring, thelarge demonstrations in Russia and Turkey, the events in Ukraine, and theconflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region to be “threats” to national stability.

Beforecracking down on NGOs and their leaders in 2014, several laws were amended torestrict the activities of civil society. New laws were adopted that increasedthe administrative requirements and imposed more frequent inspections andstricter reporting requirements. These laws make it de facto impossiblefor unregistered NGOs to receive and use grants in accordance with the law. Theauthorities have used these new regulations to prosecute NGO leaders byaccusing them of financial irregularities.

TheReport is available for download on theOMCT website:

in French (Rapport_Azerbaijan_FR)

in English (Report_Azerbaijan_EN)

in Russian (Report_Azerbaijan_RU) -END-

The Observatory for the Protection ofHuman Rights Defenders (OBS) was created in 1997 by FIDH and the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective of this programme is tointervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rightsdefenders.

For more information, please contact :
FIDH: Lucie Kroening (French / English / German / Arabic) - Tel: +33 6 48 05 9157 (Paris)
FIDH: Arthur Manet (French / English / Spanish) - Tel: +33 6 72 28 42 94(Paris)

OMCT: Miguel Martín Zumalacárregui (French / English / Spanish) - Tel: +41 22809 49 39 (Geneva)