The Assembly of the Council of Europe called on the Azerbaijani authorities to release Anar Mammadli
As the second anniversary of the arrest of human rights activist Anar Mammadli approaches, Azadeh Rojan, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) General Rapporteur on political prisoners, called on Azerbaijan to release him. Rojan stated that the numerous charges, according to PACE, are retaliatory measures for Mammadli's civic activism, independent election monitoring, and cooperation with international organizations.
She recalled the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, which previously found that the criminal prosecution of the human rights activist was aimed at "silencing and punishing him as a civil society activist." According to the PACE General Rapporteur, a similar model is being used in the current case, raising serious questions about Azerbaijan's compliance with its international obligations.
The head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (EMDSC), Anar Mammadli, has repeatedly complained of a lack of medical care. His father and lawyer reported a worsening of his knee osteoarthritis.
At the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, Anar Mammadli claimed the prosecution was politically motivated, comparing it to Soviet repression. His defense claims the case is retaliation for his human rights work. The human rights activist is accused of smuggling, illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering, tax evasion, and document forgery. His lawyer maintains the lack of evidence and the fabrication of the case. International organizations and the US State Department have repeatedly called for Mammadli's release.
