Governments in Eastern Europe and Central Asia are responding to the coronavirus pandemic with violence that runs counter to their human rights obligations, Turan reported referring to the Amnesty International.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds in the region, many governments seem more interested in cracking down on dissent than protecting public health,” said Heather McGill, Amnesty International’s Central Asia Researcher.

“From authorities in Kazakhstan welding apartment doors shut to trap residents inside, to Chechen police assaulting people for not wearing face masks, governments seem to be viewing the pandemic as a free pass to trample on human rights. Any strict measures to stop the spread of the virus must be temporary, proportionate, and in line with human rights standards.”

The report describes the facts of violations of the rights of not only ordinary citizens, but also journalists and human rights activists to prevent the spread of information.

The governments of Azerbaijan and Russia held accountable social network users, journalists and medical workers, who openly pointed out the authorities' mistakes in taking measures against the pandemic, the report said.

“On 19 March, in his Novruz Bayrami (New Year) greetings to the nation President Ilham Aliyev announced “new rules” for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, including “isolating” and “clearing” Azerbaijan’s already fragmented political opposition,” the report noted. “High- profile arrests of political and civil rights activists under spurious charges have followed the president’s pronouncement, including the arrest of opposition activist Tofig Yagublu on charges of hooliganism and human rights defender Elchin Mammad on charges of theft.”