The human rights organization Amnesty International has called for the release of researcher Bahruz Samadov and other critics persecuted by the government of Azerbaijan. Amid the snap Milli Majlis elections held on Sept. 1. Amnesty International raised the issue of the persecution of journalists and activists during the election campaign.
“The alarming new arrests and detentions targeting government critics must not be overlooked. The international community must condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Over the past two weeks, during the election campaign, two prominent figures have been detained on spurious charges, with others threatened and harassed,” Natalia Nozadze, Amnesty International’s South Caucasus Researcher, said.
The targeting of journalists and activists is nothing short of “an attempt to silence dissent and suppress freedom of expression, particularly of those who are advocating for peace with Armenia”.
“As Azerbaijan prepares to host COP29 in November this year, it is imperative that world leaders hold the government accountable for its ongoing human rights abuses. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained merely for exercising their human rights. Azerbaijan should also immediately publish the recently signed COP29 Host Country Agreement,” the representative of the organization noted.
