German politician Göring-Eckardt: "By releasing Bahruz Samadov, Azerbaijani government could show that it is serious about peace"

Katrin Dagmar Göring-Eckardt, a member of the German Bundestag from the Green Party, has issued the following statement in support of the unjustly imprisoned Azerbaijani scholar Bahruz Samadov.

"For more than a year and a half, Bahruz Samadov has been unjustly deprived of his freedom in Azerbaijan. His commitment to peace in the region and his critical analyses have been interpreted as high treason, for which he has now been sentenced to 15 years in prison. This sentence is completely unfounded. Bahruz Samadov is a particularly dramatic case that shows the harshness with which the Azerbaijani government treats human rights defenders, peace activists, political opposition forces, the LGBTIQ+ community and independent media. Despite all the drama of the world situation that draws our focus, we must not look away where people fight for freedom. With my sponsorship of political prisoner Bahruz Samadov, I want to raise awareness. After his hunger strike and two suicide attempts, I am seriously concerned about Bahruz Samadov's health and call on the Azerbaijani government to release Bahruz and other political prisoners and to fully comply with its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. By releasing Bahruz Samadov, the Azerbaijani government could show that it is serious about peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan."