“Such biased allegations of the EU Spokesperson regarding the human rights in our country have been repeatedly responded by us,” stated Aykhan Hajizade, Head of the Press Service Department of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in response to media inquiries about anti-Azerbaijan comments made by Peter Stano, Spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy of the European Union, and German MP Frank Schwabe.
Hajizade continued, “Opinions that any Azerbaijani citizen is being prosecuted due to their political beliefs or viewpoints, or that criminal proceedings involving individuals introducing themselves as journalists or human rights advocates have political motives are fundamentally improper and unacceptable.
“The detention of individuals for offenses such as treason, financing of particular illegal activities, illicit financial transactions, etc. is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the relevant criminal procedural legislations, and the process is fully transparent. Instead of waiting for the outcomes of criminal cases and investigations, as well as court decisions, calls on Azerbaijan to release suspects are in direct contradiction with the legal procedures, an attempt to interfere with the judicial authority, and is a violation of the values promoted by the European Union. We regretfully note that indifference by the EU to the violation of the fundamental rights and freedoms of people in a number of its member states, the loss of lives in prisons as a result of political persecution and during the protests such as “yellow vests,” as well as bloodshed in protests in New Caledonia are examples of double standards. A number of institutions of the EU must put an end to provocations against Azerbaijan,” concluded Hajizade.
In an interview with Politico on 23 August, Peter Stano, Spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy of the European Union (EU), noted that “detentions of independent journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society representatives have taken place in Azerbaijan since late last year,” and called for their release.
