CE Commissioner promulgates a report on situation with human rights in Azerbaijan

On February 20, Thomas Hammerberg, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, has promulgated his multi-page report on situation with human rights in Azerbaijan. The report received by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent runs that the Council of Europe welcomes pardoning of a number of journalists and regrets that not all the journalists have been released.

But at the same time, the document expresses regret on the facts of administrative arrests, especially of oppositional figures and journalists, and calls to decriminalize slander.

The report also notes that tortures are broadly used in the process of investigation. The document lists a lot of serious drawbacks and presents particular recommendations to the authorities in relation to a number of problems in the legal sphere, behaviour of the police and the fate of live prisoners, the need to respect the freedom of expression of one's opinion and termination of discrimination.

The Commissioner recommends that the authorities finalize the reforms of the legal system and ensure its complete independence, objectivity and efficiency in compliance with European standards.

The report also contains guidelines on how to improve the defence and integration of minorities by giving them more space in mass media, allocation of funds for developing their languages, and adoption of the law on alternative military service.

Finally, the European Commissioner is accenting his attention on refugees and displaced persons by calling the authorities to better defence of their rights and, especially, their housing conditions and the right to travel.

Mr Hammerberg finds it necessary to strengthen the work on missing persons and to activate the work with the International Committee of the Red Cross.