Secretary of CoE Venice Commission to visit Azerbaijan

The due announcement was made by Saida Gojamanly, member of the Monitoring Committee of the Human Rights Organizations, according to Novosti-Azerbaijan

"In the framework of the visit, G.Bukiccio will discuss the election situation in Azerbaijan and issues of ensuring freedom of speech and assembly with the country's leadership and representatives of public organizatons", said she.

She noted that human rights activists Novella Jafaroghlu and Saadat Bananyarli, who also took part in the spring session of the CoE Parliamentary Assembly, met with Bukiccio, representatives of the CoE Commissariat on Human Rigts and political commission of PACE and head of the Committee against Tortures Peti Nesterova on April 15.

"During the meeting the agenda included issues of the sociopolticial situation in Azerbaijan and problems of journalists. Special attention was paid to the hunger strike declared by the reporters, situation around the Azadlyg newspaper correspondent Agil Halil. They also discussed the results of the recent pardoning act, which did not release any journalist or sicj political prisoners", said Gojamanly.

She noted that during the meeting with the Secretary of the Venice Commission, the sides discussed the forthcoming presidential elections in Azerbaijan, the election situation and freedom of speech.

"The committee against torture discussed Azerbaijan's failure to make the reports of the local committee against torture public. According to the representatives of the European structures, it is necessary to demand publication of reports on tortures, applied in the places of preliminary detention and police stations, from the authorities. Nesterova voiced concern with the cases of death in this connection and raised the issue of dead Faina Kungurova", the human rights activist said.

It should be added that Azerbaijani human rights activists will meet with PACE co-rapporteurs on Azerbaijan Andres Herkel and Eugenia Zhivkova today.