In Azerbaijan, detained Talysh activist was visited by PACE co-rapporteur

On April 9, Estonian MP Andres Herkel, co-rapporteur of the Monitoring Committee of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and Veronica Kotek, special representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe in Azerbaijan, had a meeting with Novruzali Mamedov, head of the Talysh Cultural Centre, who is serving his term in high security Colony No. 15.

The statement of the committee in defence of Mamedov's rights that has arrived to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent tells that the meeting lasted for about two hours. The inmate spoke about the "absurdity" of presented accusations of cooperation with Iranian special agencies. The indictment presented to Mamedov ran that the newspaper "Tolyshi Sado" published by him stuck to the nationalist position and prepared grounds for Talysh autonomy in the future.

Having listened to Mamedov, Mr Herkel said that he, together with the newly appointed PACE's rapporteur on political prisoners Christopher Strasser, got acquainted with his case, and at a meeting with President of the country he would surely remind him about it. Andres Herkel promised that at his first visit to Baku Mr Strasser would come to meet Mamedov.

In his brief conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, Mr Herkel confirmed the fact of his visit to Mamedov, but refrained from any comments. He has added that the conclusions about his joint mission, with Bulgarian MP Evgeniya Zhivkova, another co-rapporteur of the Monitoring Committee, undertaken to Azerbaijan on April 7-11, will be summed up in their special report to be presented to one of the nearest PACE sessions.