European Parliament criticizes Azeri rights record
BAKU – The European Parliament has condemned what it called the worsening human rights situation in Azerbaijan, in a resolution that blames the authorities for "increasing harassment and intimidation" of journalists and political activists.
The MEPs denounced the prosecution of two young activists a few weeks after they used Facebook to call for antigovernment protests. The resolution noted that charges brought against Jabbar Savalanly and Bakhtiyar Hajiyev for possession of drugs or evasion of military service could result in jail terms of up to two and a half years.
The MEPs called for the release of the two young bloggers and the jailed newspaper editor Eynulla Fatullayev. They urged the government to drop the charges against them and guarantee the protection of journalists in the country.
A European Parliament delegation headed by President Jerzy Buzek will visit Baku next week.
Negotiations on an EU-Azerbaijan Association Agreement were launched on July 2010 and are ongoing.
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