Azerbaijani human rights activists appeal to PACE President and co-rapporteurs of Monitoring Committee on Azerbaijan

The appeal says

To PACE President, Mr. Rene Van der Linden,

Co-rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring Committee on Azerbaijan Andres Herkel, Yevgeniya Zhivkov

Participants of the PACE January session

Dear PACE members,

We, the representatives of the democratic community of the Azerbaijan Republic, invited and involved into the work of several sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, ask you to consider several issues of problems of democracy and serious violations of human rights in Azerbaijan, without delay.

We are grateful to the PACE members and its due structures for fruitful cooperation with our public delegation at the previous sessions. All of our three proposals put forward in the appeal to the participants of the spring session were put for voting and included into the final resolution on Azerbaijan's execution of undertaken commitments, during a session in April. We are happy that the Monitoring Committee included an issue on the situation in Azerbaijan on the agenda at the summer session, due to the continued violation of human rights in the country.

At the autumn session we also appealed to us with a document "Democratic agenda for Azerbaijan" in which we asked to attach special importance to the following problems:

-need to amend the Election Code of the country relying on recommendations of the Venice Commission;

-release of imprisoned reporters and political prisoners;

-restoration of a right for freedom of assembly and others.

In this appeal we asked you to appoint a special representative ( or a special rapporteur for political prisoners with broadened powers, in case the imprisoned reporters and political prisoners are not released before the January session of the Parliamentary Assembly (2008). The powers of a special representative for political prisoners should include possible acceleration of consideration of cases, connected with violation of human rights in Azerbaijan, in the European Court of Human Rights.

In late December the President of the country pardoned and released 16 people from the list of political prisoners, including 5 reporters.

Yet, three famous reporters, who were recognized the prisoners of conscience and possible prisoners of conscience. by the consulting members of COE-Amnesty International and Helsinki Civil Assembly, including Eynulla Fatullayev, Ganimat Zahid and Mirza Sakit Zahidov are still in jail.

The list of political prisoners in the CE member-state includes over 30 people, whose housing creates concern over their lives.

Unfortunately, the situation in other spheres of human rights has not improved significantly since that time in Azerbaijan: no changes were introduced to the Election Code;  the powers again hindered  the conduction of a meeting even in honor of the World Day of Human Rights on December 10 in Baku.

The participants of the International Conference on Human Rights in Azerbaijan, held in Baku on December 9, also witnessed that. During this conference, foreign representatives including co-rapporteur of the PACE Monitoring Committee on Azerbaijan Mr. Andres Herkel, were able to meet with defenders and relatives of imprisoned reporters, political prisoners and familiarize with the situation on human rights in Azerbaijan.  


The situation is ongoing in the CE member-state in the year of the forthcoming presidential elections, which creates deep concern of everyone to whom the values of democracy and human rights are especially dear.

In connection with the above-mentioned facts we appeal to you with a repeat request: to assess the issues, which we proposed in the "Democratic agenda for Azerbaijan" and which were reflected in the PACE resolution, adopted during the spring session.

In the established situation with political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, we consider it expedient to settle the issue of appointment of a special representative (or a special rapporteur) for political prisoners of Azerbaijan with broadened powers, at this session.

Respectfully,

Eldar Namazov, leader of the Public Forum "In the name of Azerbaijan"
Arzu Abdullayeva, chairman of the Azerbaijan National Committee of the Helsinki Civil Assembly
Novella Jafaroglu, chairman of D.Aliyeva's Society of Protection of women's rights
Saadat Benanerli, chairman of the Azerbaijani branch of the International Organization of human rights
Saida Gojamanly, chairman of the Bureau of Human Rights and Law Observance.

/Day.Az/