U.S. welcomes decision to allow activist to leave Azerbaijan
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 14 June 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, U.S. welcomes decision to allow activist to leave Azerbaijan, 14 June 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/558bc51015.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 14, 2015
The United States has welcomed the Azerbaijani government's decision to allow opposition activist Emin Huseynov to leave the country, but called for the release of other detained activists.
Describing Huseynov as "a courageous proponent of media freedom," State Department spokesman John Kirby urged the Azerbaijani government on June 13 to "extend this same good will to others considered to have been incarcerated for their civic activism."
Switzerland said the 35-year-old journalist and human rights activist left his country onboard the plane of a top Swiss diplomat who was in Baku to attend the opening of the European Games on June 12.
Huseynov, a fierce critic of authoritarian President Ilham Aliyev, sought shelter at the Swiss Embassy in August after Azerbaijani authorities charged him with "illegal entrepreneurship and tax evasion."
The charges are widely seen as retaliation for his opposition work.
Based on reporting by AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
