Friday, January 23

Human Rights in Azerbaijan...

On December 26th, a group of teenagers in Naxchivan (an autonomous enclave) was arrested for cutting electricity cords to a building where government organized holiday celebrations were going to take place. Boys were released the same day, beaten up and with their heads shaved. Boys' parents were threatened by local authorities to stop talking about the 'unfortunate' events or otherwise they would be confined to psychiatric hospital.

Elvin Huseynov, who is one of the boys, was arrested recently once again, as he was trying to send a telegram about the violations to parliament member, representing Naxchivan. The telegram never reached its destination. Elvin's father was placed into a psychiatric clinic at the age of 72, at the moment he is missing, just as another Naxchivan's 71 year old resident, who disappeared after sending a letter to the President himself about the rights' violations (the whereabouts of that letter are also unknown).

Is Azerbaijan really a democracy? Or is it simply a country full of thugs who run around beating up people, arresting, detaining, or torturing them? One thing is certain, it is a country where human rights are not respected unless you belong to certain family clans... 

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