The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) expresses its deep concern following the repetitive harsh sentences against human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists in Azerbaijan, which raise concerns about respect for the standards of the European Convention on Human Rights in the legal proceedings against them.

Recent court decisions against Leyla Yunus, Arif Yunus and Khadija Ismayilova, as well as appellate decisions concerning Anar Mammadli and Rasul Jafarov, have shown a continuation of the repressive trend, says the statement posted on PACE website.

The committee stresses that a climate favourable to pluralism, free campaigning and freedom of the media should be guaranteed by all relevant Azerbaijani authorities, in particular ahead of the 1 November 2015 elections.