Dick Durbin: “we have a number of challenging foreign policy issues at the moment--from Russian aggression in Ukraine to ISIL and the…”

“we have a number of challenging foreign policy issues at the moment--from Russian aggression in Ukraine to ISIL and the Syrian civil war to stemming climate change. Yet amid these larger demands, it is important to remember there are many smaller struggles going on all over the world that are also important--struggles for basic political freedoms which can still result in jailings or worse. Today I would like to mention a number of such brave individuals who are being detained for exercising or advocating for such democratic values. First, I am deeply troubled by the recent crackdown on human rights activists in Azerbaijan--part of a disturbing pattern in that country that has significantly deteriorated during the last year. The New York Times summed it up nicely in its recent editorial by describing Azeri President Aliyev as a modern-day ``Jekyll and Hyde'' who is able to convince the world that he plays nice with the West while creating one of the worst human rights records at the same time. Aliyev wants the world to believe that Azerbaijan is a model country that promotes moderate Islam, has strong relations with the West, and is an ideal host for the upcoming European games, yet it currently holds more political prisoners than Russia and Belarus combined--not a great distinction to be sure.…”