{"id":251605,"date":"2014-04-02T21:06:48","date_gmt":"2014-04-02T17:06:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.epress.am\/?p=251605"},"modified":"2014-04-02T21:06:48","modified_gmt":"2014-04-02T17:06:48","slug":"azerbaijan-ngos-demand-release-of-colleague-detained-on-fabricated-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/epress.am\/en\/2014\/04\/02\/azerbaijan-ngos-demand-release-of-colleague-detained-on-fabricated-charges.html","title":{"rendered":"Azerbaijan NGOs Demand Release of Colleague Detained on Fabricated Charges"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tSeveral NGO representatives, politicians, analysts, and lawyers issued a statement on April 1 strongly condemning the detention of their colleague, head of the Intelligent Citizen Awareness Center Hasan Huseynli, on fabricated charges and calling for his immediate release. <\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAccording to the statement, Huseynli was detained on March 31 around 6 pm and accused of “hooliganism for allegedly stabbing another person.” The rest of the statement reads as follows:\n<\/p>\n

\n\t“As the head of the Intelligent Citizen Enlightenment Center, established in 2004, Huseynli has been known for promotion of open society, human rights and democracy ideas in the western part of Azerbaijan and implementation of programs on enlightenment of the youth and their participation in study abroad programs. With support of donors such as USAID, Peace Corps,  Baku Education Information Center, Open Society Institute, European Commission, British Embassy, SILBA, ALDA, Visegrad, Robert Bosch Foundation and so on, the Intelligent Citizen Awareness Center has carried out more than 20 successful projects.
\n\t  
\n\t“The local governor has waged pressure campaign against the Intelligent Citizen Awareness Center and its director Hasan Huseynli in the recent years. Throughout Azerbaijan, NGOs increasingly face multiple challenges implementing their work, working with local people and even holding conferences, seminars or trainings in closed places.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t“Despite such illegal bans, the Intelligent Citizen Awareness Center has served as a resource center for fellow NGOs from the capital and other regions of Azerbaijan, supporting implementation of their projects. That is why it has become the target of the local authorities.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t“Huseynli's case bears striking similarity to that of journalists Ganimat Zahid and Serdar Alibayli, activist Yadigar Sadigov and bloggers Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade who were arrested on false hooliganism charges. \n<\/p>\n

\n\t“We consider Hasan Huseynli's detention to be part of a larger clampdown on civil society in the wake of presidential election. Thiscrackdown was kicked off in November 2013 with legal actions against Anar Mammadli, head of the Azerbaijani election watchdog Elections Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center, and excessive tightening of NGO legislation. The politically-motivated sentencing of two other activists, Ilgar Mammadov and Tofig Yagublu, to 7 and 5 years in jail, respectively, is yet another evidence of the crackdown.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t“Detention of NGO leaders on false charges and the rise in persecutions following the draconian NGO amendments represent a violation of Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (freedom of assembly and of association) and the obligations of Azerbaijan undertaken before the Council of Europe.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t“Coming less than two months before Azerbaijan's assumes its first Chairmanship of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, this arrest once again demonstrates Azerbaijan's reluctance to protect fundamental rights and freedoms. \n<\/p>\n

\n\t“We call on the Azerbaijani government to free our colleague Hasan Huseynli and the civil society activists detained or convicted on trumped-up charges, to respect human rights values and duly fulfill its international human rights obligations and commitments.”\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe signatories are as follows (in alphabetical order):\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAkif Gurbanov, Democratic Initiatives Institute
\n\tAnar Orujov, Caucasus Media Investigations Center
\n\tArzu Abdullayeva, Helsinki Citizens Assembly – Azerbaijan
\n\tAsabali Mustafayev, Democracy and Human Rights Resource Center
\n\tAslan Ismayilov, lawyer
\n\tAvaz Hasanov, Society for Humanitarian Research
\n\tAynur Bashirova, Media expert
\n\tAynur Imranova, Support for Development of Democracy and Media      
\n\tAyt\u0259kin  Imranova, Islam, Democracy and Human Rights Center
\n\tAzer Mehtiyev, Public Union For Economic Initiatives
\n\tBashir Suleymanli, Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center
\n\tElchin Abdullayev, Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Public Union
\n\tElchin Hasanov, Rights advocate
\n\tElchin Mammad, Social Union of Legal Education of Sumgait Youth
\n\tEldeniz Vahidbeyli, lawyer
\n\tElman Abbasov, Rights advocate
\n\tElnur Malikov, Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
\n\tEmin Huseynov, Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety
\n\tFarman Nabiyev, Mingechevir Media Center
\n\tFuad Hasanov, Democracy Monitor
\n\tGubad Ibadoglu, Economic Researches Center
\n\tGulnara Akhundova, Rights advocate
\n\tHafiz Hasanov, Law and Development Public Association
\n\tIlgar Ibrahimoglu, Rights advocate
\n\tIntigam Aliyev, Legal Education Society
\n\tJasur Mammadov, Doctrine Journalists’ Military Research Center
\n\tKhalid Kazimov, Regional Human Rights and Media Center
\n\tLeila Alieva,  Center for National and International Studies
\n\tLetafet Malikova, Regional Human Rights and Education Public Association
\n\tMatanat Azizova,  Woman Crisis Center
\n\tMehriban Zeynalova, Clean World
\n\tMubariz Tagiyev, Human Rights in Extractive Industries Public Union
\n\tNasrulla Nurullayev, Chairman, Care for the elderly intellectuals
\n\tNovella Jafarova, Association for Protection of Women’s Rights, on behalf of D. Aliyeva
\n\tRafik Tamrazov, Center of Equal Opportunities
\n\tRashad Shirin, Political Analyst 
\n\tRashid Hacili, Media Rights Institute 
\n\tRasul Jafarov, Legal Protection and Awareness Society
\n\tRovshan Agayev, Center Support for Economic initiatives
\n\tRuhangiz Huseynova, Solidarity Among Women
\n\tSaadet Bananyarli, Azerbaijan Section of the International Organization on Human Rights
\n\tSabit Bagirov, Entrepreneurship Development Foundation
\n\tSaida Gojamanli,  Azerbaijan Bureau on Human Rights and Law
\n\tSamir Aliyev, Center For Support For Economic Initiatives
\n\tShahin Hajiyev, Najaf Najafov Fund
\n\tShahin Nasrullayev, Rights advocate
\n\tShahla Ismayil, Women's Association for Rational Development
\n\tVugar Bayramov, Center for Economic and Social Development
\n\tZiya Guliyev, Center for Legal Initiatives
\n\tZohrab Ismayil, Public Association for Assistance to Free Economy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Head of the Intelligent Citizen Awareness Center Hasan Huseynli was detained on March 31 around 6 pm and accused of \u201chooliganism for allegedly stabbing another person.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":251557,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tstyn_error":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[18777,54523,15655],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/epress.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251605"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/epress.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/epress.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epress.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epress.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=251605"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/epress.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251605\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epress.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/epress.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251605"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epress.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251605"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epress.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=251605"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}