PACE deputies urge to protect journalists' and rights defenders' rights in Azerbaijan

The deputies of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) have expressed their concern about the growing level of violence in Azerbaijan and threats against journalists. The PACE should call on the Azerbaijani authorities to comply with the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) and guarantee the safety of journalists and human rights defenders, the deputies have claimed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the new action plan of the Council of Europe for Azerbaijan for the period of 2022-2025 was presented in Baku, but activists questioned the efficiency of the Council of Europe's policy.

A total of 38 PACE deputies have expressed their "concern at the growing level of violence against journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders in Azerbaijan." The resolution, initiated by the Belgian deputy, Christophe Lacroix, presents the latest facts of violence against journalists and activists in Azerbaijan.

Thus, "on February 22, Avaz Shikhmamedov (pseudonym Avaz Khafizli), a journalist and human rights defender, and a well-known LGBT activist, was killed in his house; requests to defend his life were ignored by Azeri law enforcement bodies." His brother is suspected of committing the murder.

The authors of the resolution also pointed to the recent kidnapping of Bakhtiyar Gadjiev, an activist and critic of the authorities.

The parliamentarians also pointed to threats received by journalists, who are authors of investigations, including anti-corruption ones.