MURAD SADADDINOV: "THE PROBLEM OF PACE AND COUNCIL OF EUROPE LIES IN THE ABSENCE OF MECHANISMS OF FORCING THE CE MEMBER-STATES TO FULFILL COMMITMENTS"
Today.Az
02 October 2008 [16:31]
Azerbaijan
The PACE agenda does not include issues connected with Azerbaijan
and, therefore, there will be no discussions on our country", said
Murad Sadaddinov, co-chair of the Fund of Protection of Democracy
and Human Rights.
He said the discussions on presidential elections are likely to be
held by results of the discussions in PACE but it is still early to
speak of it.
According to Sadaddinov, all CE leaders have repeatedly made
announcements that CE will display a tough reaction in case of
violations during presidential elections before elections, including
in public, but later they forgot their announcements.
"Unfortunately, in the result of this impunity, the CE influence has
dropped. How can we speak about human rights when one country – the CE
member – has occupied another CE member, bombing peaceful cities and
creating territorial formations, controlled by it. I mean Russia. At
the same time, the Russian parliament recognizes these territories
as independent from Georgia", said Sadaddinov.
As for elections in Azerbaijan, the PACE delegation will take part
in observation of elections.
"This will be a small group of deputies. They will prepare a report
by results of elections and the Monitoring committee and PACE bureau
will decide what to do further. Considering today’s passive election
situation, I think that our elections will not be the subject of
discussions at the PACE plenary session", said he.
As for the possible pressure PACE may put on Azerbaijani powers he
said it does not matter as it is all senseless.
"First of all, there is no mechanism of pressure, second, any pressure
gives a ground for accusations in double standards. It is possible
to say now that the results of elections here will not be similar to
the results of elections in Armenia.
Asked what he thinks about the announcement of the head of Armenian
delegation in PACE David Arutyunyan that the discussions on the
situation in Armenia, held in Strasbourg, were ineffective, while
resolutions 1609 and 1620 demand Yerevan to release the political
prisoners, hold independent investigation of March 1 events and ensure
citizens’ right for holding events, that heads of delegations always
speak against the critical resolutions of PACE as not objective.
"Everyone is aware of the results of elections in Armenia and
by the number of arrested Armenia has set a record among the CE
member-states. In this sense, the adopted documents are quite fair,
but unfortunately, ignoring the PACE resolutions has turned into a
bitter tradition.
The problem of PACE and Council of Europe lies in the absence of
mechanisms of forcing the CE member-states to fulfill commitments",
he said and added that the Council of Europe needs serious reforms,
because it may lose its influence. "Unfortunately, we do not see any
interest in it", concluded Sadaddinov.