Repressions resumed

Repressions against oppositionists have been resumed in Azerbaijan. Thus, Vidadi Feiziev, head of the auditing commission of the Musavat party division in Sumgait, and Jahangir Amirhanly, head of Musavat party division in Ganja, were detained in Sumgait on 1 July. Several police officers came to Feiziev's place and took him to the city police, according to the party's press service. In a trial today, the court sentenced the Musavat member to 10 days in prison under "far-fetched" charges. The reason for detaining Jahangir Amirhanly was that he had complained of pressure on the part of the Azerbaijani government to the U.S. ambassador during the latter's visit to Ganja, according to Musavat. Another reason for the authorities to detain Amirhanly is to prevent him from meeting with rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe that were to arrive in Ganja.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress Helsinki Commission calls on official Baku for ensuring free and fair parliamentary elections, Christopher Smith, a co-chair of the Commission, told members of an Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation in Washington, D.C. At a meeting with the head of the delegation, Sattar Safarov, at the annual session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, he said he was very disappointed to learn that the parliament of Azerbaijan had recently passed an Electoral Code without taking Venice Commission recommendations into account. Baku's refusal to form electoral commissions on parity terms causes especial concerns, he said. The 2003 elections did not meet international standards and this should happen again, Smith remarked.

• Parliament violates freedom of press
• Religious leader detained

More about Azerbaijan:

• Amnesty International: Azerbaijan