The EU expressed its concern about the fact that on 2 April 2011 a demonstration in Baku was dispersed and that some participants were arrested. The EU calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately release all individuals concerned.

Expressing its concerns over the recent pressure on some journalists, the EU said it supports the statement by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media on this issue. “We call upon the Azerbaijani authorities to condemn these incidents publicly, to do their utmost in order to bring the perpetrators of violence against journalists to justice and to prevent future incidents of this kind”, reads the statement. “We reiterate the assertion of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office during his recent visit to Baku that freedom of assembly was essential to any democratic state. We urge Azerbaijan to go further with democratic reforms”.

“The EU stands ready to continue to support further reforms in Azerbaijan guided by the values laid down by the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the EU. Finally the EU reiterates the importance it attaches to intensified relations with Azerbaijan and invites the Azerbaijani Government to make full use of the opportunities offered by the Eastern Partnership and the European Neighbourhood Policy”, the statement reads.