AI launches campaign towards release of "Nida" activists

The international human rights organization "Amnesty International" (AI) has launched a campaign to collect signatures to the petition calling for release of the youth activists of the civil movement "Nida", arrested in Azerbaijan. The campaign is timed to the six-month chairmanship of Azerbaijan in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) that starts on May 14.

Civil society activists of Azerbaijan have also appealed to the CoE asking to press the official Baku towards releasing political prisoners.

As stated by the "Nida", its activists fought for democracy, human rights and against corruption, widespread in Azerbaijan.

"In February 2013, they created a group on the Facebook, calling for peaceful protests against injustice in the country," says the appeal. Shortly thereafter, eight activists were arrested; some of them were tortured: in particular, Shakhin Novruzlu, who was 17 at the time of arrest, lost his four knocked-out teeth; Mamed Azizov lost one-ear hearing as a result of beatings.

In the context of Azerbaijan's chairmanship in the Council of Ministers, the presence in the country of prisoners of conscience is nonsense, says the appeal, signed by 40 leaders of the country's NGOs.

Azerbaijani authorities state that the country has no political prisoners, and treat the criticism from international organizations in the field of human rights as untenable.