Work of Rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan is hampered

Azerbaijani government refuses to send an invitation to come to the country to Deputy Kristof Strasser, Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on political prisoners in Azerbaijan. Mr Strasser told about it himself at the meeting in Strasbourg of activists of civil society of Azerbaijan.

The delegation of activists of the Azerbaijani civil society, comprising lawyers Intigam Aliev and Asabali Mustafaev, election expert Anar Mamedli, human rights activists Malakhat Nasibova, Ilgar Nasibov and Vugar Godzhaev, is in Strasbourg since January 24 on invitation of Council of Europe. They are accompanied by members of international human rights organizations: Ane Tusvik from the Norwegian Human Rights House and Grigori Gogiya from the Human Rights Watch.

According to Intigam Aliev, Head of Legal Education Society and one of the participates of the meeting, Mr Strasser noted that he had been appointed to this post 1.5 years ago, but is unable to perform his duties.

According to his story, the Azerbaijani government refuses to invite him; therefore, he cannot start his mission. He addressed the government of Azerbaijan 4 times, but never received an invitation.

Mr Strasser explained that there was not a case in the CE practice, when the Rapporteur was not let into the country. According to his version, this issue was touched on January 24 at the sitting of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers and became a subject of serious debates. The Committee emphasized the importance of creating proper conditions for the Rapporteur's normal work in Azerbaijan.

According to Intigam Aliev, the activists of the Azerbaijani civil society offered Mr Strasser to prepare his report based on reports of local and international human rights organizations, media materials and other sources, because time flies away; the problem persists and there is need to discuss the problem at the PACE.

"Moreover, new political prisoners appear," he added.

Mr Aliev supposed that the new January detainees - Nemat Panakhly, leader of the Party of National Statehood of Azerbaijan, and criminally persecuted leaders and activists of the Islamic Party - may be added to the list of political prisoners.

In his comment on Kristof Strasser's statement, Elkhan Polukhov, head of the press service of the Azerbaijani MFA, said that Mr Strasser had not applied to the Azerbaijan's Embassy in Germany for visa.

Samed Seidov, head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the PACE, said that Azerbaijan is not against Mr Strasser's visit to the country. "Mr Strasser has recently visited Azerbaijan during the parliamentary elections as a member of the PACE's observatory delegation. Objections are caused not by Strasser's person, but by his activities as Rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan. We don't agree with PACE's appointment of such Rapporteur to Azerbaijan and find it non-objective," said Seidov in conversation with "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to Mr Seidov, there are no persons persecuted on political reasons in Azerbaijan.