Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, will hold a briefing on rule of law and civil society in Azerbaijan on November 5.

“The last two years have witnessed a precipitous decline in the respect for rule of law and human rights in Azerbaijan. Many independent civil society organizations have been forced to close due to onerous regulations, threats of intimidation, or the arrest of the organization’s leaders. Independent media has been severely curtailed or closed down. Opposition parties are harassed and often shut out of the election process. High-profile politicians are serving lengthy prison sentences on charges that many observers believe were politically motivated,” Commission said in a statement.

This briefing will have a particular focus on the rule of law and how the government of Azerbaijan is using its judicial system to intimidate and imprison critics of the government. The briefing will also analyze the results of the November 1 parliamentary election and its implications for Azerbaijan’s future direction.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar, Vice President of Eurasia, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law Natalia Bourjaily, Dinara Yunus, daughter of imprisoned Azerbaijani human rights defenders Leyla and Arif Yunus, will participate in the briefing.