In response to Ukraine’s detention of an Azerbaijani journalist, Fikrat Huseynli, after an Interpol “Red Notice” was requested by the government of Azerbaijan, Freedom House issued the following statement:

“The government of Ukraine should both release Huseynli from detention and stop any extradition procedures based on the Interpol arrest warrant requested by Azerbaijan, a warrant that reflects Azerbaijan’s harassment of journalists rather than any actual criminal offense,” said Marc Behrendt, director of Eurasia programs at Freedom House. “The accusations of Huseynli’s wrong-doing cited by Interpol show how Azerbaijan and other authoritarian governments abuse the Interpol system to persecute political opponents, journalists, and human rights activists. Interpol should carefully investigate each request for a ‘Red Notice’ to prevent these abuses.”

Background:

Huseynil emigrated from Azerbaijan in early 2008 , received political asylum in Netherlands, and became a Dutch citizen.

Ukraine is rated Partly Free in Freedom in the World 2017, Partly Free in Freedom of the Press 2017, Partly Free in Freedom on the Net 2016, and receives a democracy score of 4.61, on a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 as the worst possible score, in Nations in Transit 2017.