Amnesty International vs Eynulla Fatullayev

International human rights organization Amnesty International has broken off its cooperation with human rights defender Eynulla Fatullayev and in connection with this made appropriate statement.

Representative of the AI on Caucasus and Ukraine Max Taker said, that:

“Some time ago Fatullayev asked an office of Amnesty International in Germany assign speaker to take part in the event that he arranged in Brussels on subject human rights violations in Germany.

He stated that this event is financed by the German Marshall Fond and the Black Sea Trust. International secretariat of the AI asked to the German office not to assign a speaker.

The Black Sea Trust is set up to work with the Black Sea countries, the Fund set up to work with the countries of the Black Sea, and therefore, this seemed suspicious that the Fund allocates tens of thousands of Euros for a project related to Germany instead of these countries. We decided to contact to them and we found that the Black Sea Trust does not finance this organization. Despite of our refusal to participate in this event, Eynulla distributed an agenda of the action, in which was included a speaker of the AI. He also tried to enlist of support of the event with assertion that the AI takes part in it.

On this reason we decided to break off cooperation with Eynulla Fatullayev and his organization Azerbaijani Public Movement “For Human Rights”.

It should not take into account any assertion of Eynulla Fatullayev in which we are shown as partner or supporting organization.

Pro-governmental informational agencies have already promoted his website and video (it can be seen at thedecline.info).

As rule, this site tries to create a wrong imagination that violation of human rights that found in Azerbaijan, can equally meet in Germany”.

On his Facebook page Eynulla Fatullayev replied to Amnesty International. On his words, this statement is very dangerous precedent for the AI itself. It is created a circle of states, which is forbidden to criticize, and it is a serious signal to the international human rights movement. It turns out that one can not criticize the Western States, they are protected by law.

“A representative of the Berlin office of the organization voluntary gave us interview, and told about tyranny of the German police. Who made a representative of the Amnesty International Alexander Bosch give an interview, criticizing of Germany and make such kind of statement? I consider that this statement is a wrong step that will harm an organization’s monitoring at many countries. We will be asked: why do you oppose monitoring in Germany? Why do you inspect us, in this case?”

The IOLR is agreed with that the violations of human rights happen at many countries, but try to compare Germany and Azerbaijan on eve of presentation of the report of Christoph Strasser meant to do the tyrants of Azerbaijani people a good turn.

On this, a representative of the IOLR told E. Fatullayev on January 22, 2013 during arranged by Fatullayev meeting at building of the Council of Europe.

This post is also available in: Russian