Czech foreign ministers compares Ilham Aliyev's regime with an ostrich

• Wednesday, March 20, 11:35

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Karel Schwarzenberg has postponed his visit to Azerbaijan that was scheduled for April.

Referring to the Czech charity NGO People in Need, Czech mass media report that the reason of the visit's postponement was the Azerbaijani party's criticism of Schwarzenberg's speech on human rights at the ceremony of awarding Homo Homini human rights award at the Czernin Palace.

This year Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Karel Schwarzenberg awarded Azerbaijani human rights lawyer Intigam Aliyev.  This prestigious award, which is annually presented by the Czech NGO People in Need, was awarded to Mr. Aliyev for his personal courage and exceptional commitment to defending persecuted individuals. The award was handed over to Mr. Aliyev by Minister Schwarzenberg during the opening ceremony of the One World human rights documentary film festival in Prague on March 4, 2013. During the ceremony Minister Schwarzenberg expressed his deep trust in the power of civil society
and the readiness of the Czech Republic to support the activities of the civil society in Azerbaijan.

In his speech, the minister called the ruling clan in Azerbaijan 'a family dictatorship' and compared it with the festival's symbol - ostrich.

The Czech Foreign Ministry reports that the visit to Azerbaijan was postponed due to upcoming international financial forum in Baku.