ADA-UK Statement on Jabbar Savalan's Release
United Kingdom, London
29 December 2011
ADA-UK welcomes the release of Jabbar Savalan on 26 December 2011 through a presidential pardon signed by President Ilham Aliyev. However, ADA-UK remains concerned about the continued imprisonment of 16 prisoners of conscience.
Jabbar Savalan is a 20 year old political activist and university student from Azerbaijan who was arrested on 5 February 2011 as he was returning home from an opposition Popular Front party meeting. Jabbar claims that during his arrest, drugs were planted on him by police officers, who then claimed to have found 0.74 grams of marijuana in his pockets. Jabbar’s blood results showed no signs of drug use and his family and friends were adamant that Jabbar had no history of drug use.
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Report: “Azerbaijan: 20 Years of Independence and the Struggle for Democracy”
House of Commons, London
20 October 2011
Late on Thursday evening, 20 October 2011, a discussion hosted by the Henry Jackson Society took place at the House of Commons in Westminster, bringing together journalists, human rights defenders, civil and political activists to offer an analysis of the challenges faced by Azerbaijan as a youthful democracy 20 years after its independence from the Soviet Union.
“Azerbaijan: 20 Years of Independence and the Struggle for Democracy”, was chaired by Paul Flynn MP, whilst the panel of speakers was composed of notable figures such as the Deputy Programme Director at Amnesty International, John Dalhuisen, Head of Advocacy at Index on Censorship, Michael Harris and leading Azerbaijani – British political activist and Acting Director of Azerbaijan Democratic Association, Murad Gassanly.
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