He made the remarks April 16 during the hearings in the Azerbaijani parliament dedicated to 18 June – Human Rights Day in the country.Â
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Hasanov reminded that Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan, invading Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts, committing genocide, causing a million people to become refugees and IDPs in blatant violation of human rights.
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Regrettably, international organizations still abstain from imposing sanctions on Armenia, the aggressor,†the top official stressed.
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The president’s aide also mentioned that the chaos dominating in Azerbaijan in the early years of independence came to an end after Heydar Aliyev came to power.Â
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“Since then, we adopted laws in accordance with international principles of human rights. The primary law in this respect is the Constitution, which ensures provision of human rights and freedoms, social, cultural, and other rights as well as freedoms of speech and opinion,†he said.
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According to him, the adoption of the state program on protection of human rights dated 18 June 1998 was yet another crucial step.
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“The program included establishment of the Ombusdman Institute and some other issues. Then, June 18 was declared Human Rights Day under the order signed by President Ilham Aliyev in 2007,†he said. Â
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Hasanov added that the next state programs on human rights were adopted in 2006 and 2011.
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He noted that the Development Concept covering the period up to 2025 also includes important issues regarding the protection of human rights.
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Referring to the laws and decisions adopted related to the development of the civil society, the top official stressed that the majority of NGOs in the country are specialized in the field of human rights and freedoms. Â Â
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Speaking about the establishment of the Press Council, National Television and Radio Council, Hasanov emphasized that President Ilham Aliyev pays attention to the development of the media in the country.
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“On 3 April 2009, the State Fund for the Support of Mass Media Development under the President of Azerbaijan was created. To date, the Fund has allocated 30 million manats for the development of the media in the country,†he said.
According to him, Azerbaijan is considered to be the leader among the CIS and European countries for the number of media outlets.
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The presidential aide underlined that in Azerbaijan there are over 5,000 registered media outlets and more than 50 TV and radio stations.
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He went on to say that 75 percent of the Azerbaijani population use the Internet on a daily basis, and the number of social network users in the country has exceeded 2 million.Â