PACE rapporteurs’ visit date set
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
rapporteurs monitoring Azerbaijan, Andres Herkel of Estonia and
Joseph Debono Grech of Malta, are due to visit the country February
8.
The co-rapporteurs will hold meetings at the Parliament, the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs and the Central Election Commission. They will also meet NGO representatives.
Herkel said the agenda of the visit will be discussed again during the PACE’s winter session. He noted, however, that the rapproteurs intend to visit a number of Azerbaijani regions and enquire about the jailed journalist Eynulla Fatullayev.
Further, Herkel said a report on Azerbaijan is to be prepared by the assembly’s spring session and further submitted to its summer session for consideration. The document will assess the country’s judiciary system, the situation with human rights, freedom of speech and the media.
Christoph Strasser of Germany, the PACE rapporteur on the so-called political prisoners in Azerbaijan, is expected to arrive in Baku in March. Though the visit was initially scheduled for February, it will most likely take place in late March instead, according to Strasser’s office.
Strasser was appointed to his position at the meeting of the PACE committee on legal affairs and human rights held in Berlin on March 24, 2009.
Azerbaijani officials and many local observers have repeatedly said there are no political prisoners in the country.*
The co-rapporteurs will hold meetings at the Parliament, the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs and the Central Election Commission. They will also meet NGO representatives.
Herkel said the agenda of the visit will be discussed again during the PACE’s winter session. He noted, however, that the rapproteurs intend to visit a number of Azerbaijani regions and enquire about the jailed journalist Eynulla Fatullayev.
Further, Herkel said a report on Azerbaijan is to be prepared by the assembly’s spring session and further submitted to its summer session for consideration. The document will assess the country’s judiciary system, the situation with human rights, freedom of speech and the media.
Christoph Strasser of Germany, the PACE rapporteur on the so-called political prisoners in Azerbaijan, is expected to arrive in Baku in March. Though the visit was initially scheduled for February, it will most likely take place in late March instead, according to Strasser’s office.
Strasser was appointed to his position at the meeting of the PACE committee on legal affairs and human rights held in Berlin on March 24, 2009.
Azerbaijani officials and many local observers have repeatedly said there are no political prisoners in the country.*
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