OSCE PA Committee calls for the restoration of normal functioning of OSCE Office in Baku (video)

In the resolution of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly adopted on 30 June  on the results  of the discussions at the 23rd session in Baku adopted three amendments concerning Azerbaijan.  

Thus, according to the 39th amendment proposed by the head of the Committee, Isabel Santos from Portugal, the resolution notes that the PA OSCE expresses concern about the abuse of administrative procedures and legislation for the purpose of detention, imprisonment, intimidation or otherwise coerced into silence opponents and human rights defenders in many OSCE participating states, including Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

The 44th amendment proposed by Norwegian parliamentarian Bekkevold expressed "deep concern about the situation of Anar Mammadov (Head of the EMDSC), representative of the Azerbaijani civil society and human rights activist, who was recently sentenced to imprisonment in a legal case with obvious political overtones."

The OSCE PA calls on the competent Azerbaijani authorities to find ways  for restoration justice for Mammadov, giving him and other citizens who are victims of politicized court the right to continue to work for the protection of human rights and the rule of law.

Finally, the 45th amendment, proposed by Habsburg Douglas from Sweden, urges the Government of Azerbaijan once again allow the OSCE to open in Baku a Regional Office as a logical consequence of the concerns expressed by the mission to monitor the elections in Azerbaijan. This solution can also help the country make the rule of law, an integral component of its policy of democratization, thus contributing to closer ties with the EU, that is movement on the way in which with great skill and determination to follow other states "Eastern Partnership".

The Azerbaijani parliamentarians expressed  protest against these amendments, but nevertheless were adopted by majority vote.

Recall the OSCE Office in Baku, at the insistence of the government of Azerbaijan to January 1, 2014, was belittled to the status of the project coordinator.   The Office lost function to implement monitoring activities and reporting. -06D –