Azernews.Az

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has said a rapporteur on "political prisoners" in Azerbaijan may be appointed at the group`s fall session.
"If the situation in the country does not change, the appointment will be inevitable," Lluis Maria de Puig told a news briefing in Baku last week.
Puig said the Council of Europe welcomed the partial implementation of Azerbaijan`s commitments. However, the government is required to fully deliver on its international obligations, he said.
"If Azerbaijan fails to embrace the required standards on democracy, human rights and legal state-building and resists this, tough action will be taken against the country," Puig warned.
Azerbaijani officials have repeatedly said there are no political prisoners in the country, rejecting allegations by some critics.
Puig said Azerbaijan`s presidential election due in October was of great importance for his organization.
"Much depends on this election. Elections open up great opportunities for us," he said.
Puig added that PACE had put forth a demand in its latest resolution passed on Azerbaijan to conduct a fully democratic vote.
The 30-people-strong observation mission of PACE to monitor the upcoming poll will be headed by the assembly`s co-rapporteur Andres Herkel.
Puig expressed confidence that the meetings and discussions held during his visit to Azerbaijan would yield fruit.
"I came to Azerbaijan with good intentions. I concluded from my meetings with government representatives that we will accomplish results in the areas that need improvement."
Asked whether the CE`s statements "smell like oil", Puig disagreed with this view. "Those saying this have no idea about the CE. The organization passes its decisions on the basis of not economic interests but democratic standards."
During the visit, the PACE head met with President Ilham Aliyev, members of the Azerbaijani delegation at PACE, representatives of political parties, civil society and mass media, and diplomats.