EU concerned over situation with free speech in Azerbaijan
BAKU – The European Union (EU) Monday expressed concern about the developments in Azerbaijan regarding freedom of assembly and expression.
Several new incidents of arrests by the authorities have taken place in response to unauthorized demonstrations. Reportedly there have been several cases of protesters subjected to administrative detention, as well as criminal cases pressed against the organizers.
"This happened in a context of escalating pressures on journalists, youth and political activists, as well as international NGOs involved in human rights issues," said a spokesperson for EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule.
"We encourage the Azerbaijani authorities to allow the peaceful demonstrations to take place in relevant locations and call on the country to fully respect its OSCE and Council of Europe commitments in the fields of democracy and human rights," said spokesperson Natasha Butler in a statement on Monday.
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!