Rights defenders call on PACE to appoint new rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan

On the eve of the summer session of the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe), more than 25 civil society activists have urged the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly to support the draft resolution on the situation of human rights in Azerbaijan.

The draft resolution entitled "Azerbaijan's chairmanship in the Council of Europe: what steps are taken in terms of observation of human rights?" has been initiated by Irish MP Michael McNamara. And it will be considered at the Bureau's meeting to be held on June 23 prior to the summer session of the PACE in Strasbourg.

The civil society activists are calling on the Bureau to approve the draft resolution and pass it for further improvement to the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by Emin Guseinov, one of the authors of the appeal and Director of the Institute of Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS).

According to the appeal of the civil society activists, while during its six-month presidency Azerbaijan is to promote the protection of human rights in Europe and beyond it, the country itself widely applies practice of arbitrary arrests, torture, unfair trials against human rights defenders.

The authors of the appeal also express their support to the draft resolution's idea of appointing a new PACE special rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan and providing him with a mandate to monitor the situation in the country and to visits the country for the above purpose.

See earlier reports: "PACE President urges Azerbaijani authorities to release Ilgar Mamedov", "Human rights defenders and opposition leaders criticize Azerbaijani authorities for guilty verdict to Ilgar Mamedov and Tofig Yagublu", "AI demands to immediately release Ilgar Mamedov and Tofig Yagublu in Azerbaijan".