The international human rights organization Freedom House commented on statements of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in its address at the meeting with representatives of European Parliament on September 20.

The acting president of Freedom House Daniel Calingaert sharply criticized Ilham Aliyev's government.

“President Aliyev is the person most responsible for Azerbaijan’s appalling human rights record of the last decade, including the baseless imprisonment of civil society activists and efforts to stifle all political dissent,” Daniel Calingaert said.

“Aliyev has remained in power thanks to sham elections while family members have enriched themselves. Freedom House will continue to do its work of bringing greater attention to his government’s abuses”, the statement emphasized.

President Ilham Aliyev received the delegation of the EU-Azerbaijan inter-parliamentary cooperation on September 20. At this meeting the head of state accused Freedom House organization of bias and pro-Armenian position.