COE IS NOT SATISFIED BY AZERBAIJAN’S FULFILLMENT OF ITS COMMITMENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.04.2007 17:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In Strasbourg the session of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) accepted Monitoring
Committee’s report on Azerbaijan’s fulfillment of its commitments
in front of EU. Efforts of the Azeri delegation to soften the most
critical points addressed to the Azeri authorities were not crowned
with success, Turan reports. During discussions of the report member
of Azeri delegation Samed Seidov distinguished, who said there is a
lot of progress in Azerbaijan and even politicians and human rights
activists who have arrived in Strasbourg, confess it and express
their support. However Seidov’s words were ironically ignored by
Andres Herkel, who expressed his disagreement with, as he said,
Azeri delegation head’s "magnificent" speech. Number of political
prisoners has decreased in Azerbaijan, but it does not mean solution
of problem. Corruption prospers in the country, and there is anarchy
in the judicial system. Courts are not independent. Freedom of assembly
is not provided. The parliament does not have enough powers. Elections
are falsified.

Representatives of opposition are not included in parliamentarian
delegation. Touching upon the problem of political prisoners, Tony
Lloyd said it is the result of "absence of justice in courts". Leo
Platvoet drew attention to the fact that the growth of economy that
the Azeri authorities like to talk much about, has resulted in the
growth of corruption, and not in improvement of welfare of population.

The report particularly mentions the importance of PACE control over
the commitments that Azerbaijan promised to fulfill in connection with
the coming presidential elections of 2008, which "must be the first
elections in country’s history meeting international standards." It
is necessary to urgently solve the issue of electoral commissions,
which must enjoy the trust of both electorate and all political forces.

"Corruption remains the main problem in Azerbaijan that touches
all layers of society and threatens economic, social and political
development of the country. Criminal prosecution for slander leads
to intimidation and self-censorship in media," the report says.