Advertisement

Baku pressed for more political freedoms

WASHINGTON, March 18 (UPI) -- Washington has approached the government of Azerbaijan on the need to protect freedom of expression, a U.S. State Department official said.

Anti-government protesters led by the opposition Musavat movement last week called on Azeri President Illham Aliyev to step down. He took power in 2003 from his father who assumed office in the early 1990s.

Advertisement

Human Rights Watch claimed authorities in Azerbaijan had closed-door trials for demonstrators who took part in the peaceful protests.

Mark Toner, a deputy spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said Washington had pressed Baku on political rights on the country.

"It's important," he said during his regular press briefing. "Again, these speak to the broader issues, these universal rights that people have, including access to information that we certainly support."

The watchdog group said at least 30 people were given light prison sentences during closed-door trials last week though more than 100 were rounded up by riot police.

Toner admitted, however, that Washington had little information on the protests in Azerbaijan.

Latest Headlines