PACE rapporteur on political prisoners denied visit to Azerbaijan

Panorama, Armenia

June 7 2019

Þórhildur Sunna, a special rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has been denied a visit to Baku, since the Azerbaijani authorities considered the dates of her visit ‘inconvenient’ due to a public holiday celebrated in the country on 4-5 June.

“Disappointed to have to postpone again my visit to #Azerbaijan to discuss #PoliticalPrisoners with authorities & #CivilSociety. Authorities said the dates had become inconvenient due to a recently announced public holiday. Look forward to visiting in September!” the Icelandic politician tweeted.

Sunna was appointed a PACE rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan in June 2018 following a corruption probe conducted by the organization.

Earlier in 2013, the PACE rejected a report on Azerbaijan’s political prisoners prepared by German deputy Christoph Strasser amid Azerbaijan’s bribing of some deputies.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS