The Georgian Foreign Ministry has criticized statements made by the European Union regarding legal proceedings that could lead to the banning of five opposition parties. The ministry issued its response following comments made on October 19 by European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand.
The United States Department of State records the facts of killings, torture and other inhuman phenomena in Azerbaijan, as well as the harsh conditions in the country’s prisons. It’s in the State Department’s annual human rights report.
The report on Azerbaijan cited arbitrary detentions and arrests, the existence of political prisoners and repression, and the absence of an independent judiciary. Interference with privacy, severe restrictions on freedom of expression and the media and other human rights violations are also recorded.
The US also noted violence against journalists, systemic corruption in the government and lack of accountability for gender-based violence in Azerbaijan. The Government did not prosecute or punish most officials who committed human rights violations and acts of corruption. Impunity remained a problem,» says the report.