Azernews.Az

“This is crucial for all CE member states. In general, the political prisoners concept cannot be accepted at all. I brought this to the attention of the Azerbaijani delegation members during a meeting with them this week,” Linden told a press conference Monday dedicated to the start of another PACE session.
In response to a question concerning the situation with media in Azerbaijan, the assembly president said no separate issues to that end or on “political prisoners” were included in the session agenda, but the CE was closely following the developments in each of its member states and aware of existing problems.
“We are keeping these issues in focus and trying to acquire additional information,” he said, pledging to raise them in a meeting with Parliament Speaker Ogtay Asadov on Wednesday.
Asked about the presidential elections due in Azerbaijan in 2008, Linden said a PACE mission would observe the polling.
“As before, we will send observers to the country shortly before the election,” he said.*