2024-02-10 04:19:15
Interview of Stefan Shennak, co-rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Azerbaijan, to “Turan” agency and “Voice of America”.
– What was the topic of your meetings in Azerbaijan?
– The list of our meetings was the same as usual. That is, every time we come to Azerbaijan, we compare our impressions from the previous visit. Our meetings are traditionally held with official institutions as well as NGOs, human rights defenders and representatives of the press. This time, as usual, we attended meetings at the Presidential Administration, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor’s Office, the Supreme Court and other institutions.
– What were the topics you discussed?
– The topics we are discussing are the presidential decree, decriminalization of a number of criminal acts. We are happy that 15 actions that were previously considered crimes have already been decriminalized and this process is ongoing. We then discussed increasing trust and transparency in law enforcement agencies. Of course, the serious issue of political prisoners was not left out. So, we are very happy with the amnesty on the eve of Novruz holiday, but this problem is still not fully resolved. Also, I personally had the opportunity to meet and talk with people who were previously in prison, now in a free and comfortable environment. Thus, we had wonderful and sincere meetings with Ilgar Mammadov and Ilkin Rustamzade. Because these young people were arrested for nothing. Only because they wanted to exercise freedom of speech and expression.
Another serious issue that we were discussing was the “Nardaran prisoners”.
– Did you have the opportunity to meet political prisoners like Afgan Mukhtarli and Seymur Hazi this time?
– We applied for this, but it was the first time that we were not given the opportunity to meet the prisoners. This disappoints me because we wanted to meet Said Dadashbeyli, Afgan Mukhtarli and other prisoners in Gobustan prison. As I said, they did not give us such an opportunity for the first time. Instead, they gave us the opportunity to visit the temporary police station.
– How do you assess the situation of human rights in Azerbaijan in general?
A: I would say that there is a lot of room for improvement. That is, we do not want to be the judge. However, we can give advice on how to improve the situation. We are talking about democracy, human rights, rule of law and other issues. As a result of this visit, I will prepare a short report. However, a comprehensive report on Azerbaijan has been prepared for next year and will be presented to the session of the Council of Europe. I hope that Azerbaijan will return to cooperation with our monitoring mission. Because this time I didn’t feel it. Meetings and negotiations took place formally within the framework of the protocol.
– How beneficial are the human rights projects implemented by the Council of Europe in Azerbaijan? Considering that it is the Council of Europe itself that often accuses Azerbaijan of violating human rights.
– After the collapse of the Soviet government, the new independent states must move to a new state system. This road is long. Sooner or later you have to accept the concept of independent prosecution, independent courts. For this to happen, NGOs and government institutions must undergo certain trainings. We very much hope that the rule of law will gradually develop and become an accepted system in your country. This is the purpose of our projects. In addition, we know how difficult the situation of NGOs in your country is. The purpose of our work in the other direction is to improve the state of civil society. So, during the visit, we are negotiating the application of the election law, the law on political parties and other documents. But for this to happen, our cooperation with you must change. So, the recommendations given by the Venice Commission to your government should be accepted in due course. We should not criticize the elections held in your country. For this to happen, I repeat, your government must have a dialogue with us.
We cannot force your government to do this. However, we, as well as you, know very well that there is still a lot to be done in terms of ensuring human rights, democracy and freedoms. That is why we call you for cooperation and dialogue.
– When do you plan to submit your report?
– According to the rules of the Council of Europe, the report must be submitted every 2-3 years. I plan to present our report in June 2020.
– How does the Council of Europe see the strengthening of democracy in Azerbaijan?
– I repeat that we are not forcing you to do anything. What we do has a purpose. Improve the situation in your country. Often in your country, our proposals are perceived as criticism and pressure. This is not so. Because when joining the Council of Europe, your country assumed certain obligations in the field of human rights and democracy. Each country must fulfill these obligations.
For example, you cannot play with the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. It is necessary to implement them. This is one of the obligations of the member country. Thus, the issue of Ilgar Mammadov was on the first place in my agenda for 3 years. Because your government did not want to fulfill the decision of the European Court. It won’t happen. Instead of implementing the decision, you accuse us of double standards. This is unfair. I would like the day to come and your citizens will have an independent judiciary and law enforcement agencies that work with justice.