2023-06-16 06:58:23
The co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), who visited Azerbaijan on June 3-7, Ian Liddell-Granger and Liz Kristoffersen, issued a statement about the conclusion of the visit.
Assessing Azerbaijan’s commitment to its obligations to the Council of Europe, the state of democracy, rule of law and human rights in the country, the co-rapporteurs emphasized that despite the government taking some steps in this direction, there are still issues of serious concern. In the statement, concern was expressed especially about the situation of human rights in Azerbaijan.
“We are concerned about restrictions on freedom of expression, especially the impact of the new law on the media, journalists and bloggers, which imposes a number of registration requirements. We urge the authorities to amend the law in accordance with the opinion of the Venice Commission without delay, so that the media can continue to fulfill the role of “public watchdog”, the statement emphasizes.
Co-rapporteurs who expressed concern about the continuation of restrictions on the freedom of association and assembly noted that the civil society operates in a very restrictive environment.
The co-rapporteurs also said that concerns about politically motivated arrests remain. Recalling the resolution adopted by the PACE in 2020 on the issue of political prisoners in Azerbaijan and the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the politically motivated arrest of opposition politicians, civil society activists, human rights defenders and critical journalists, the co-rapporteurs said that they are following this issue closely. In the statement, the authorities of Azerbaijan were once again called on to fully and urgently implement the decisions of the ECHR.
Touching on the state of democracy, the co-rapporteurs expressed concern about the new law “On Political Parties” that could hinder pluralism, and called on the authorities to reform the electoral system in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR. On the other hand, the government’s plan to transition from the majoritarian system to the proportional system in the parliament was appreciated.
As for the rule of law, the government of Azerbaijan has been called to increase efforts in the field of anti-corruption, to fight corruption in all structures of the state by following the recommendations of the Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO). The PACE co-rapporteurs also touched on concerns about the independence of the courts. Milli Mejlis’ work on the draft law for reforming the Judicial-Legal Council was welcomed, and the need to take into account the recommendations of the relevant bodies of the Council of Europe in this area was emphasized.
Addressing the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, the co-rapporteurs welcomed the recent progress towards a peace agreement between the two countries and urged both sides to intensify negotiations. During the trip, the co-rapporteurs who visited the city of Aghdam welcomed Azerbaijan’s efforts in demining and reconstruction of infrastructure in the region.
“Regarding the situation in the Lachin Corridor, we emphasize the need to ensure freedom of movement in accordance with previous statements, the decision of the European Court of Human Rights dated December 21, 2022 and the decision of the International Court of Justice dated February 22, 2023. We also hope that the peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation will leave the area no later than November 2025,” the co-rapporteurs added.
During the visit, the PACE co-rapporteurs met with the Ministers of Foreign and Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Vice-President of the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General, the Ombudsman, the heads of the political parties represented in the Milli Majlis, and the delegation of Azerbaijan to the PACE. Co-rapporteurs also held meetings with representatives of the Bar Association, civil society and opposition political parties and relatives of political prisoners.
According to information, although the co-rapporteurs applied to visit several prisoners allegedly arrested for political motives, they were not allowed to meet.
Voice of America
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