The EaP CSF Steering Committee expressed its outrage in March 2020 at the politically motivated arrest of Tofiq Yagublu, a prominent member of the opposition Musavat Party and the National Council of Democratic Forces in Azerbaijan, and now urges the authorities of Azerbaijan for a re-examination of his case.

Mr. Yagublu was denied the right to make a final statement in court. To protest, he went on a hunger strike. On 3 September, the Nizami District Court in Baku sentenced him to four years and three months in prison.

The EaP CSF Steering Committee condemns this conviction since it was arrived at through a false testimony. Thus, it represents a miscarriage of justice and must be seen as an unfair trial.

Echoing the European External Action Service’s statement on this issue, the Steering Committee calls upon the authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan to re-examine Mr. Yagublu’s case as soon as possible while considering the country’s international commitments on protecting and enhancing political freedoms and the rule of law.

Members of the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

Zaur Akbar, Youth Club Public Union, Azerbaijan

Olga Chyzhova, Digital Communication Network, Estonia

Ina Coseru, National Environmental Center, Moldova

Lousineh Hakobyan, Europe in Law Association, Armenia

Mikayel Hovhannisyan, Eurasia Partnership Foundation, Armenia

Shahla Ismayil, Women’s Association for Rational Development (WARD), Azerbaijan

Maksym Koriavets, Polissya Foundation for International and Regional Studies, Ukraine

Mikalai Kvantaliani, Association “New Group”, Belarus

Natia Kuprashvili, Journalism Resource Center, Georgia

Adrian Lupusor, Expert-Grup, Moldova

Tatiana Marian, National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova

Sofia Strive, ForumCiv, Sweden

Yurii Vdovenko, Center for Cross-Border Cooperation, Ukraine