Azerbaijan Shrugs Off Criticism of Its Human Rights Practices

Azerbaijan is shrugging off criticism of its human rights practices, with ruling party officials claiming that a recent report on government abuses during last fall's presidential election is biased. Azerbaijan's riposte came shortly before a January 27 session of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, during which members termed Baku's rights record as "far from satisfactory."

The 61-page report prepared by Human Rights Watch and released January 23 assailed Azerbaijani leaders for carrying out mass arrests aimed at stifling opposition political and media activity before, during and after the country's October 15 presidential election. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive]. "Today, Azerbaijan is experiencing its gravest human rights crisis in the past decade," said the report.

Pro-government political analysts characterized HRW's assertion that nearly 1,000 people had been arrested during the post-election crackdown as "ridiculous," according to a January 26 report published by the Ekspress newspaper in Baku. The same report quoted Aydin Mirzazada, an MP from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, as claiming "the opinions reflected in the document [HRW report] contradicted reality." He went on to suggest that those responsible for producing the report "are not interested in the situation being normal in Azerbaijan."

The HRW report, "Crushing Dissent: Repression Violence and Azerbaijan's Elections," says the government's desire to ensure a dynastic transition of power from former president Heidar Aliyev to his son, Ilham, prompted officials to sanction police violence and arbitrary arrests "to ensure that the opposition could not campaign effectively." The report went on to say the government "carried out a well-organized campaign of fraud," and then responded with "brutal and excessive force" when opposition protests erupted over the ballot-rigging. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

"By mid-January 2004, more than 100 opposition leaders and supporters remained in detention," the report asserted. HRW is calling for the release of the detainees.

The presidential elections confirmed Ilham Aliyev as the nation's new ruler. The elder Aliyev died in late 2003 while undergoing medical treatment in the United States. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Repression has intensified in recent months, according to the HRW report. The findings are based on hundreds of interviews with victims and witnesses in 13 towns and cities, conducted during and immediately after the elections. It also draws on later testimony and press accounts.

The United States and other Western governments came under criticism in the report, which suggested the lack of a forceful international response to the vote-rigging had severely damaged the democratization process in Azerbaijan. "The mild responses by the United States, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe to the massive fraud left many Azeris bitterly disappointed," the report said.

On January 27, the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) examined Baku's compliance with the organization's human rights standards. Prior to the session, HRW representatives urged PACE to express stronger concern about conditions in Azerbaijan. "The Assembly needs to adopt a strong resolution making clear that Azerbaijan's credentials are at risk unless the government remedies the situation," Rachel Denber, acting executive director for HRW's Europe and Central Asia Division, said in a written statement. Azerbaijan was admitted to the Council of Europe in February, 2001.

According to a report on the Council of Europe's web site, PACE members termed Azerbaijan's rights record "far from satisfactory," and called for the establishment of a commission to investigate "all alleged human rights violations." The report added that Council of Europe monitoring of Azerbaijan should continue until officials in Baku "make further substantial progress on the outstanding obligations and, notably, demonstrate their ability to organize free and fair elections."

The US response to recent developments in Azerbaijan was characterized in the HRW report as being "confused and contradictory." The report noted that during US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's visit to Baku in December, he dodged a question about Azerbaijan's internal political situation, while offering Aliyev congratulations on his presidential election win.

"Despite the stated support of the United States for an investigation into election abuses, Human Rights Watch is not aware of any serious attempts by the US administration to foster the establishment of such a commission," the report said. "The administration officials have generally attempted to distance themselves from any discussion of the flawed presidential elections, preferring to continue with