Texas Recognizes the Armenian Genocide; Becomes 46th State to Acknowledge the Crime

AUSTIN, Tex.—The Texas House of Representatives unanimously passed House Resolution 191, titled “Recognizing the Armenian Genocide,” on May 19, thus making The Lone Star State the 46th state in the U.S. to officially classify and commemorate the 1915-1923 annihilation of Ottoman Turkey’s indigenous Armenian community as genocide.

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Vefa Mammadova, Wife of Imprisoned Opposition Member Ilgar Mammadov, Speaks at Council of Europe Assembly

Vefa Mammadova, the wife of one of Azerbaijan’s leading opposition politicians, Ilgar Mammadov, spoke today at a Council of Europe assembly and asked those in attendance why Azerbaijan, after all these years, is still a member of the organization. You can read her and watch her address below.

Ilgar Mammadov was arrested in February of 2013 for alleged ‘hooliganism’ and ‘bribe giving’. The charges were later changed to the ‘organization of mass riots accompanied by riots and pogroms.’

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Amnesty International: Azerbaijan Must Investigate Recent Prison ‘Suicide’

Amnesty International is calling on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure a prompt, independent and effective investigation into the deaths of Mahir Mustafayev and Mehman Galandarov.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on May 4 that the Azerbaijani government had violated the right to life of Mahir Mustafayev without protecting his life and without conducting an effective investigation into the circumstances of his death.

Mustafayev died of severe burns as a result of a mysterious fire in his cell in December 2006.

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10 Years for Graffiti: Prisoners of Conscience in Azerbaijan

Exactly one year ago today, two young Azerbaijani men, Bayram Mammadov and Qiyas Ibrahimov, wrote anti-government slogans on a monument to Heydar Aliyev in Baku. The next day, they were arrested, accused of drug distribution and possession and sentenced to 10 years.

Meydan TV tells the story of these “monument prisoners”.

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Azerbaijani Court Blocks Access to 5 Sites, Including Meydan TV

The Sabail District Court of Baku completed the examination of a lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Communications on May 12, which demanded that access to a number of news sites in Azerbaijan be permanently blocked.

The court has agreed with the appeal and given permission to block azadlıq.info, azadlıq.org, azərbaycansaatı.com, meydan.tv, Turan TV channel (Turan TV) and Azərbaycan Saatı.

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Marat Ueldanov convicted in Baku fears he is hindered from appealing court judgment

Russian national of Armenian descent Marat Ueldanov, who was convicted in Azerbaijan, fears that he is hindered from appealing the court judgment.

His sister, Mariana Mirzoyan, told Armenian News – NEWS.am that Marat called her on Wednesday and informed that he was moved to a terrible place at 12:00 pm on Friday.

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