U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar has issued a statement on upcoming presidential elections in the country, urging Azerbaijani government to ensure a free and fair electoral process.

“Now that the active stage of the election season has begun, we call on the government of Azerbaijan to ensure a free and fair electoral process that reflects the will of the people,” the statement reads.

He said to guarantee an unbiased pre-election environment, the government of Azerbaijan should make sure all political parties and interested groups have equal access to the media, the freedom to register their candidates, and the freedom to hold campaign events and regular party meetings in venues across the country without interference.

Ambassador called to accelerate fair resolution of the legal proceedings against youth activists, journalists, and political leaders, including Ilgar Mammadov and Tofig Yagublu.

In his statement Morningstar noted that Azerbaijani authorities “should register domestic election observers and permit them to monitor election activities freely throughout the country.”