Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 12 2008
Chingiz Asgarov accuses those who against list of Azeri judges to the
ECHR of favoring Armenians
[ 12 Jan 2008 15:30 ]
Heads of a group of NGOs have made an appeal to the PACE Committee of
Ministers about winter session discussions on appointment of Azeri
judges to the European Court of Human Rights.
The Law Awareness Society told APA that the appeal was undersigned by
lawyers Intigam Aliyev, Annaghi Hajibayli, Alovsat Aliyev, Rashid
Hajili, Hafiz Hasanov, right defenders Leyla Yunus and Avaz Hasanov.
The appeal says that two of the judges in the list submitted by
Azerbaijan are not famous persons in the public and compared to the
current judge Khanlar Hajiyev, they have no chance to do anything.
The appeal calls for sending back the list to Azerbaijan for
reconsideration.
Chingiz Asgarov, Azerbaijan’s representative to the European Court,
told APA that the undersigned are against the national interests of
Azerbaijan.
`So called lawyers and right defenders appealed to the Council of
Europe when Azerbaijan submitted the list last time. They then
claimed that the selection process had not been transparent in
Azerbaijan. So, the PACE sent the list back.
Azerbaijan Judicial Council, under recommendation of the PACE, posted
notices and held procedures to select candidates. All the NGOs,
lawyers and law organizations were invited to nominate candidates. I
think they are against the national interest of Azerbaijan. This is
an order made by Armenia. The European Court is about to consider
complaints of Azeri IDPs against Armenia. So, we need strong lawyers
in hearings. Some pro-Armenian forces want to obstruct this. They
don’t want to see strong judges in the European Court,’ he added.
He noted that three judges nominated by the Azerbaijan government are
stronger.
`Three of all them are judges who speak English fluently. They know
European Human Rights Convention and they know precedent law of the
European Court. Each of them can represent Azerbaijan,’ he noted.
Azerbaijan nominated Khanlar Hajiyev, the current judge to the
European Court, Rashad hasanov, Judge of Azizbayov District Court and
Aygun Abdullayeva, Judge of Nasimi District Court. /APA/