The European Parliament called on the Azerbaijani authorities to undertake "long-overdue" human rights reforms without further delay and cease their "harassment" of civil society organisations, opposition politicians and independent journalists and lift the ban of public gatherings in Baku.

They MEPs condemned the arrest and detention of Leyla Yunus, Arif Yunus, Rasul Jafarov, Intigam Aliyev and Hasan Huseyni and demand their immediate and unconditional release.

EU support and cooperation with Azerbaijan, including ongoing negotiations for a Strategic Modernisation Partnership, must be conditional upon and include clauses relating to protection of human rights, says the text.

Bakudaily.Az