Berlin, 18 June 2014

EPDE and other members of the Global Network of Election Monitors (GNDEM) sent a letter to Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan expressing great concern about the sentencing of Mr. Anar Mammadli, chairman of Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre (EMDS) and board member of EPDE. He was convicted to 5,5 years in prison in a Baku court on May 26, 2014. In the same case Mammadli’s deputy, Bashir Suleymanli, was sentenced to 3,5 years and Elnur Mammadov, head of the partnering NGO the Public Association for International Cooperation of Volunteers was given a 3,5 years term with 2 years on probation.

GNDEM and its member organization EMDS consider the sentences politically motivated, groundless and unjust. We demand an immediate release of the convicted Anar Mammadli, Bashir Suleymanli and Elnur Mammadov and that the sentences against them be repealed.                                

Find the letter here PDF