Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Bahar Muradova, Azerbaijani Parliament's Deputy Speaker and Head of Azerbaijani Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA), has criticized some of her European colleagues.

In a letter to her colleagues at OSCE PA, Muradova sharply criticized some of them for inappropriate behavior during organization's 23rd Annual Session held in Baku on June 28-July 2.

Muradova blamed Alan Neri, a member of the French delegation and vice-president of the OSCE PA for demonstrating unfair position during the session.

Neri, who displeased that one of the French MPs couldn't get visa to participate in session, violated the procedures of OSCE PA by voting instead of his colleague.

Muradova said Neri grossly violated the procedures of OSCE PA by voting instead of his colleague. She noted that Neri's colleague was denied entry visa because he had visited Azerbaijan's occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region without due permission of the authorities of Azerbaijan.

"Although the Azerbaijani MPs and I considered him to be an objective parliamentarian and voted for him in all elections for we believed that he would fight for the protection of the OSCE values and rules. Apparently, we were mistaken. Starting from the very first moment, not only did he fail to make a right conclusion out of it, but also showed that he did not refrain from violating demonstratively the rules of procedure of the OSCE PA for the sake of the interests of his colleague, forgetting thereby that Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan," Muradova said.

"What can you say about the OSCE PA vice-president's actions? Was he right in doing so?" she asked addressing her colleagues.

She also slammed the Danish MP Karsten Lauritzen for calling on other MPs to ban holding OSCE PA meetings in Azerbaijan in future.

"The same attitude was demonstrated by my colleague Lauritzen during his speech delivered on the last day of the session. Referring to the visa denial story, he also spoke of a ban on holding OSCE PA meetings in our country in future. I don't remember this MP taking statements on any issue and demonstrating a principal position. If he is nominated for any post neither me, nor my Azerbaijani colleagues, or even majority of you would never vote for him because we don't even know his real values in life," Muradova said.

She said "those who have not yet lost their sense of justice could see him very well."

Referring to the visa denial of French MP, Muradova said Azerbaijan applies bans on individuals who illegally visit the occupied territories.

"Don't you think that Azerbaijan is right to apply a visa ban on persons openly violating its boundaries, border rules and sovereignty, on those serving the interests of Armenia which has occupied 20 percent of the territory of Azerbaijan (Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions) and violating all 10 principles of the Helsinki Final Act and supporting a separatist regime which is trying to achieve its acceptance and recognition in the world?" she asked.

Muradova went on to reject as baseless any report calling to put a ban on holding international events in Azerbaijan just because of one person.

"Doesn't it make sense to punish the state of Azerbaijan and its people just because of a visa denial for one person?" she said.

Muradov noted that there was a civil and constructive way to resolve this problem - "that person could simply write to the relevant authorities of Azerbaijan."

Unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan which are occupied by Armenia are considered illegal, and the individuals who pay such visits are included in Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's "black list".

Azerbaijan has repeatedly warned foreign officials and diplomats about visit to its territories that are occupied by Armenia, calling it contradictory to international laws.

"And yet, who will restore the violated rights of one million Azerbaijani citizens? Or are you ready to recognize these rights at all? You are demanding a visa for a French MP to allow him to freely move in the OSCE region," Muradova said.

She said this is in the hands of the Azerbaijani government to issue a visa for a French MP, who illegally visited occupied territories. He could easily get the visa by referring to the relevant authorities.

"Who will give the permission to one million Azerbaijani citizens including me and Bahar Avaz qizi Muradova, an IDP from the Fizuli region adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh, Deputy Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, the Head of the national delegation to the OSCE PA not just to visit the countries in the OSCE region, but also to return to my homeland Fizuli, to Karabakh - which is an integral part of Azerbaijan?" she asked.

"Would you like to answer this question of your colleague, whom you know and who is calling for equal protection of the rights of both ethnic Azerbaijanis and the Azerbaijani citizens of Armenian origin- the citizens who have become the minor hostage of the idea of "Greater Armenia". They are suffering from economic and social difficulties in Nagorno-Karabakh? I invite all of you to think about the issue. I'm looking forward to getting an answer from my friend Neri and my Danish colleague," Muradova concluded.