Khadija Ismayilova (Image: Washington Post)On February 21, 2017, former Azerbaijani political prisoner and journalist Khadija Ismayilova reported that Azerbaijani civil society activists were harassed, blackmailed and arrested days before Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that his wife would be the country’s new vice president. Ismayilova said the arrests are connected to the government’s ongoing efforts…
CUBA: On January 21, 2017, artist Danilo “El Sexto” Maldonado was released from El Combinado del Este prison after enduring psychological and physical torture during his 55 days of detainment. Cuban authorities arrested El Sexto after he graffitied “se fue” (he’s gone) on a public wall in reference to the passing of former Cuban President…
On January 16, 2017, leading members of Azerbaijani civil society issued a letter to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to conduct an independent investigation into corruption allegations against several of its Members. The letter is in response to an investigation by a Milan public prosecutor of former Vice President of PACE,…
On October 26, 2016, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Board stated that if Azerbaijan’s government fails to amend restrictions on NGOs before next March, their EITI membership will be suspended. The EITI is an initiative that oversees the international “standard for transparency and accountability around countries’ oil, gas and mineral resources.” Azerbaijan’s EITI membership…