Thursday, May 29 2014

Baku. A group of representatives of civil society appealed
to the authorities to protect democratic values.

The appeal, in particular, said that 96
years ago the creators of ADR dreamed that

Azerbaijan will become a model country
that guarantees freedom and the rule of law. Then the Azerbaijan Democratic
Republic, distinguished by the level of democracy, not only in the region but
also throughout the East. If the country identified any facts of administrative
violence or corruption, the highest-ranking officials, the founders of ADR as
Fatalikhan Khoyski, retired.  After 23
years since Azerbaijan gained independence, the country, like most former
Soviet republics, was able to defend its independence and strengthened. But at
the same time could the republic, as 96 years ago, protect and preserve the
democratic tradition? 23 years are a sufficient period to revive the political
culture as in the developed Western countries. If during this period,
Azerbaijan remained committed to the traditions of the ADR and if it could
properly dispose the existing resources, without a doubt, the modern Azerbaijan
state could be a leader of democratization in the region.

The ongoing processes in the country, on
the contrary, have removed from the principles of statehood and democratic
traditions created nearly a century ago. Therefore, with concern watching all
this, we want to draw your attention to the following trends:  According to the local and international
human rights defenders, Azerbaijan by the number of people arrested for
political reasons ranks first among the countries of the Eastern Partnership.  According to reports by the International
Transparency Organization and the 2013 Corruption Perception Index, Azerbaijan
received 28 points and is No 127 out of 177 countries.  Despite the fact that in recent years steps
have been taken against corruption, this struggle is not against the high-level
political and economic corruption. The consequence of this corruption is the
lowest wage in the country, which results in the fact that working people
cannot cover their minimum charges.

The Index of European integration shows
that Azerbaijan is now on a par with Armenia and Belarus, where the rate of
integration into Euro-Atlantic space is extremely low, and this is despite the
superiority of Azerbaijan's natural resources and human capital.  Referring to the president, members of the
government, MPs , generally to the country's leadership, we call at this
historical moment to determine the future course of development of Azerbaijan
in favor of European integration.

In the civilized world, the main indicator
of the pride of a nation is not geopolitics, energy or income gained from them,
but protection of the rights and freedoms of each individual's well- being, the
ability to build an open and democratic society.

               Harassment
and arrests of political and social activists, journalists and fighters against
corruption, pressure on human rights defenders spoil the image of
Azerbaijan.  We appeal to all
decision-makers in government circles to immediately take the following steps:

- Release those arrested for political
reasons;

- Ensure the fundamental rights and
freedoms - of expression, assembly and association, and the inviolability of
property;

- Start a serious fight against
corruption, support free enterprise and eliminate monopoly on domestic and
foreign markets; Waive the requirement of state registration of NGOs, reduce
the tax burden and take appropriate laws to European standards;

               -
Sign the Association Agreement with the EU, accelerate the entry into the WTO
and announce plans to join NATO and the EU; History shows that delaying the
implementation of these reforms can turn the people and state to a tragedy, the
appeal signed by 32 people reads finally.