Statement: Civil Society Forum calls for immediate release of Anar Mammadli, respected monitor of elections and nominee for Václav Havel Human Rights Prize

03 June 2014

In its statement, the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum strongly condemns the prison sentence of five years, six months handed to Anar Mammadli, Chair of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre (EMDS), by the Baku Grave Crimes Court on 26 May 2014. The Civil Society Forum calls upon all EU member states, the government of the United States, and members of the Council of Europe to exert maximum pressure on the government of Azerbaijan to cease its legal and extra-judicial harassment of civil society organisations, opposition politicians, independent journalists and concerned citizens working to strengthen and protect freedom of expression and human rights in the country.

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