Washington
August 22, 2014
In response to the brutal attack on Azerbaijani journalist and human rights activist Ilgar Nasibov, Freedom House issued the following statement:
“The horrific physical assault on Ilgar Nasibov, a journalist, is the latest trauma in a rapidly and radically deteriorating human rights situation in Azerbaijan,” said David J. Kramer, president of Freedom House. “The Government of Azerbaijan seems determined to intimidate human rights activists and any critic of its actions, whether by arrest on false charges or beating, as has happened August 21 to Nasibov. President Ilham Aliyev is entirely wrong if he believes his government can go after its critics without consequences while the world’s attention is focused on other hot spots.”
“He and his government should be held responsible for the dangerous and hostile environment they are promoting,” Kramer said. “The United States and the European Union should consider sanctions against officials who authorize and carry out these horrific abuses.”
For more, see:
http://www.rferl.org/content/azerbaijan-attack-rights-activist-nasibov/26545123.html
Azerbaijan is rated Not Free in
Freedom in the World 2014,
Not Free in
Freedom of the Press 2014
and Partly Free in
Freedom on the Net 2013.
To learn more about Azerbaijan, visit:
Azerbaijan Detains Additional Human Rights Activists
Nations in Transit 2014: Azerbaijan
Freedom in the World 2014: Azerbaijan
Freedom of the Press 2014: Azerbaijan
Freedom on the Net 2013: Azerbaijan
Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization that supports democratic change, monitors the status of freedom around the world, and advocates for democracy and human rights.
