Crackdown on Civil Society in Azerbaijan - Hong Kong 2014

Tabled by D66

Adopted

The 193rd Executive Committee Meeting of Liberal International, convened in Hong Kong from 7 to 9 November 2014,

Whereas

On 5 September 2014, the Baku office of IREX, an international NGO promoting democratic reforms, was raided and bank accounts of IREX, Transparency International and National Democratic Institute were frozen;
On 3 October 2014, Khadija Ismayilova, investigative journalist writing on the business interests of President Aliyev’s family, was charged with defamation and insult in a criminal libel case;

Considering that between May and August 2014

Journalist Parviz Hashimli was sentenced eight years prison and journalist Ilgar Nasibov was brutally beaten by unknown assailants.
Human rights activists Leyla Yunus and Rasul Jafarov, one of the coordinators of IFLRY Freedom Award winner ‘Sing for Democracy’, were detained on vague, politically motivated charges.
Liberal blogger and Müsavat member Faraj Karimov went missing for weeks. Amnesty International stated he risked torture.

Noting that Azerbaijan committed itself to human rights, rule of law and democracy as current chairman of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers.

Calls upon the Azerbaijani government to respect its obligations as Council of Europe member, uphold the values expressed in the UN Human Rights Charter, and end the crackdown on civil society.

Urgency Resolution on the Crackdown on Civil Society in Azerbaijan