HRW claims Azerbaijan`s rights record ‘remains poor’
BAKU – Azerbaijan`s human rights record "remained poor" in 2010, Human Rights Watch claimed in an annual report assessing the situation with human rights in the world.
"The government continued to use criminal defamation and other charges to intimidate and punish journalists expressing dissenting opinions," HRW said.
The report also alleged that the November 7 parliamentary elections failed to meet international standards. "Other serious problems persisted, including restrictions on freedoms of religion, assembly, and association, and torture and ill-treatment in custody," it said.
HRW said the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found Azerbaijan had violated freedom of expression by imprisoning journalist Eynulla Fatullayev and called for his immediate release.
According to the report, government officials initiated 26 criminal defamation cases against journalists and other critics in the first half of 2010; courts delivered 14 sanctions. In addition officials filed 36 civil defamation claims, 30 of which were successful.
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