18:09, 12 June 2020

Azerbaijani opposition calls on West to impose sanctions against country's officials

Law enforcers detain a rally participant, February 16, 2020. Photo by Aziz Karimov for the Caucasian Knot

The National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) of Azerbaijan called on the international community not to issue visas to officials of the country involved in human rights violations and use of violence against citizens. In Berlin, Azerbaijani political emigrants conducted a rally with the same demand in front of the residence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"While the whole world faced the coronavirus pandemic, the ruling regime of Azerbaijan launched a police baton against its people. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), institutions of state security, the General Prosecutor's Office, and courts turned into a tool to suppress citizens of the country," the National Council of Democratic Forces declared in its statement, which arrived to the "Caucasian Knot" in the evening on June 11.

In particular, authors of the document mentioned a special operation conducted by the police in the "Yeni Yasamal" residential complex on June 8.

On June 8, about 50 employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Azerbaijan conducted a special operation in the Yeni Yasamaly residential complex in Baku. 11 people were delivered to the police station. According to the police, the detainees were throwing various items from the balconies at the law enforcers, who were detaining quarantine violators.

The NCDF of Azerbaijan called on the Western authorities to impose visa sanctions on the Azerbaijani Minister of Internal Affairs, his deputies, and other officials, as well as the officials involved in the police special operation.

In Germany, a group of Azerbaijani political migrants also called on the authorities to impose sanctions against human rights violators in Azerbaijan. Protesters gathered in front of the German Chancellor's residence and raised portraits of political prisoners and posters with the demand to stop the use of force by law enforcers in Azerbaijan. Activists delivered speeches during the protest action, condemned the special operation conducted by the police in the "Yeni Yasamal" residential complex, and demanded to punish those who sanctioned the police special operation, the "Meydan.TV" reported.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 12, 2020 at 01:46 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Faik Medzhid

Source: CK correspondent