PACE sees no need for rapporteur on 'political prisoners'
A bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
(PACE) decided in Paris on Thursday that there is no need for
appointing a special rapporteur on "political prisoners" in
Azerbaijan.
"A decision was passed that since the Monitoring Committee rapporteurs are handling the matter on their own, there is no need for a separate rapporteur," head of the Azerbaijani delegation in the assembly, Samad Seyidov, said after discussions on the issue that has been in spotlight of international observers.
A report on the outcomes of a visit paid by the PACE rapporteurs Andres Herkel and Eugenia Jivkova to Baku February 4-8 was to be divulged at a Monitoring Committee meeting in the French capital on Tuesday. The "political prisoners" problem was among key issues on the agenda during the visit.
The Committee had decided at a meeting in Strasbourg on January 24 that the issue would not be discussed at the assembly's winter session and revisited after the rapporteurs' visit to Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani officials have repeatedly stated that there are no "political prisoners" in the country.
MP Gultakin Hajiyeva said discussing the issue at PACE was baseless as it represented "a chapter that has long been closed".
"A decision was passed that since the Monitoring Committee rapporteurs are handling the matter on their own, there is no need for a separate rapporteur," head of the Azerbaijani delegation in the assembly, Samad Seyidov, said after discussions on the issue that has been in spotlight of international observers.
A report on the outcomes of a visit paid by the PACE rapporteurs Andres Herkel and Eugenia Jivkova to Baku February 4-8 was to be divulged at a Monitoring Committee meeting in the French capital on Tuesday. The "political prisoners" problem was among key issues on the agenda during the visit.
The Committee had decided at a meeting in Strasbourg on January 24 that the issue would not be discussed at the assembly's winter session and revisited after the rapporteurs' visit to Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani officials have repeatedly stated that there are no "political prisoners" in the country.
MP Gultakin Hajiyeva said discussing the issue at PACE was baseless as it represented "a chapter that has long been closed".
Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention.
Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis.
By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more.
Subscribe
You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper
Thank you!