After protest, US embassy urges Azeri govt to honor freedom of assembly
BAKU – The US embassy in Azerbaijan has expressed its concerns about actions taken by the government "to prevent the peaceful assembly of opposition groups" during the antigovernment rally in central Baku on Saturday, including the detention of opposition activists in the days before the planned protests.
The U.S. called on the government to respect the rights of all its citizens to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, which are guaranteed under the Azerbaijani Constitution and international human rights instruments, including OSCE commitments.
"Respect for these rights is essential for promoting the sort of dialogue between citizens and their government that forms the basis for positive change and the deeper development of a culture of democracy in any society," the embassy said in a statement. "We call for those detained in association with demonstrations to be afforded due process under the law, with open and transparent hearings and adequate access to legal counsel."
During the unauthorized rally, organized by the Public Chamber umbrella opposition group, 70 people were detained, according to official sources, while the opposition put the figure at more than 200.
Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention.
Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis.
By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more.
You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper
Thank you!