Anar Mammadli pardoned after almost 2,5 years in prison
On 17 March 2016, Anar Mammadli, EPDE board member and the Director of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (EMDS), based in Baku, Azerbaijan, was pardoned by the president Aliev along with a number of high profile political prisoners. Mammadli was imprisoned on 16 December 2013 following EMDS critical report documenting massiv fraud during […]
Final Report
EPDE carried out long-term observation of the November 1, 2015, Parliamentary Elections in Azerbaijan with support of more than 50 local long-term observers (LTOs) and local civil society activists in more than 80 election constituencies around the country. EPDE notes with regret that the November 1, 2015, Parliamentary Elections were carried out amidst numerous incidents […]
Parliamentary Elections Marred by Political Imprisonment, Violations of Freedoms to Assembly, Association, and Expression

source: apa.az EPDE carried out long-term observation of the November 1, 2015, Parliamentary Elections in Azerbaijan with support of more than 50 local long-term observers (LTOs) and local civil society activists in more than 80 election constituencies around the country. EPDE notes with regret that the November 1, 2015, Parliamentary Elections were carried out amidst […]
Analysis of the Activity of International Monitoring Missions

EPDE expresses its concern over international election observation missions delegitimizing the institution of election observation as well as damaging the reputation of those parliaments and international institutions that they represent. According to an EPDE survey of the work of international election observation missions during the Parliamentary elections on November 1, 2015, in Azerbaijan, none of […]
Whitewashing of Flawed Parliamentary Elections Through PACE and Other EOMs
Baku, November 5, 2015 EPDE expresses its concern over international election observation missions delegitimizing the institution of election observation as well as damaging the reputation of those parliaments and international institutions that they represent. A significant number of international observation missions registered for the recent Parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan have violated international standards of election […]
Failing preconditions to hold free and fair parliamentary elections
Serious shortcomings of voters’ lists noted in the previous elections remain not-addressed. The CEC announced that there is a 1 622 111 less voters in the country than argued by the State Statistics Committee. Neither of the institutions provided explanation of discrepancy between numbers. EMDS received credible allegations that voters providing signatures in favor of […]
Shameful statement of PACE pre-electoral mission raises concern about impartiality of PACE delegates
On 21 and 22 September a PACE delegation consisting of the delegates Jordi Xuclà, Aleksandar Nikoloski, Egemen Bagis and Agustín Conde visited Azerbaijan for a pre-electoral mission ahead of the Parliamentary elections on 1 November 2015. While Azerbaijan holds today 80 political prisoners, among them Anar Mammadli, director of the independent election observation organisation […]
Bashir Suleimanli released after a presidential pardon in Azerbaijan

Bashir Suleimanli, deputy director of EMDS Baku has been released after a presidential pardon in Azerbaijan. We are glad for Bashir and his family! Anar Mamadli and more than 100 other political prisoners still remain under custody. Please find more informationhere
Freedom for political prisoners in Azerbaijan – no preferential treatment for Ilham Aliev

EPDE demands an immediate release of Anar Mammadli, Chairman of the independent Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (EMDS) and the Board member of EPDE, as well as a release of almost 100 other political prisoners in Azerbaijan. Anar Mammadli and his deputy Bashir Suleimanli were detained in Baku after publishing a critical report exposing […]
EPDE expresses solidarity with political prisoners in Azerbaijan, Warsaw, 12 December 2014

Statement on Human Rights in Azerbaijan by European Platform for Democratic Elections European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) observes with great concern that a number of states that are home to EPDE member organizations have not only regressed in the field of free and democratic elections, but also grossly violate human rights, continuing […]