Baku/23.01.14/Turan : The co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee of PACE Pedro Agramunt and Joseph Gresh late the previous evening in Nakhchivan met with a local human rights activist and journalist , the regional correspondent for the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety ( IRFS ) Khakimeldostu Mehdiyev.
Mehdiyev told Turan he disagreed to meet with the co-rapporteurs together with representatives of pro-government NGOs, so the representatives of PACE appointed him a separate meeting.
The meeting was scheduled for 20:00, but Mehdiyev waited till 21.00 and, receiving no invitation, left Nakhchivan for Sharur. At 22.00 he was called and invited to the meeting, which took place around midnight.
Mehdiyev informed about the problems of freedom of assembly, expression and association , pressure on citizens, pratice of sending to mental hospitals those, who demand their rights in the autonomy.
As a result of all this, in Nakhchivan were only three human rights defenders - Malahat Nasibova, Ilgar Nasibov and he.
Referring to specific examples, Mehdiyev spoke about the activist of Musavat Mehdi Mushtaliyev, arrested for being an observer in the presidential election on October 9 on trumped-up charges of drug possession. His family was intimidated so that they would not complain.
The businessman Mohammed Gurbanov and his son-in-law were arrested and beaten at the customs for refusing to pay a bribe.
In this Mehdiyev recalled that the Chief of the Sadarak Customs is now arrested in Turkey on charges of corruption.
In addition, he informed about the fact of death of Turaj Zeynalov in the MNS prison from torture.
Mehdiyev himself in 2007 was beaten in the MNS NAR and his complaint of this case is at the European Court of Human Rights.
Mehdiyev also rebuked the co-rapporteurs and the Council of Europe as a whole for the contemplative stance toward human rights violations in Nakhchivan, causing frustration among citizens with European values.
The co-rapporteurs , after hearing Mehdiyev, asked him to send written material and promised to reflect these facts in their final report .
On the morning of January 23 the co-rapporteurs met with the human right defenders Malahat Nasibova and Ilgar Nasibov just returning from a trip.
As Nasibova told Turan, they informed the co-rapporteurs on human rights violations, including in anticipation of, during and after the presidential election .
The co-rapporteurs said that during other meetings they were told about zero unemployment in the NAR.
In response, the human rights activists said that the unemployment situation is eloquently demonstrated by the mass migration from the NAR. Most residents of the NAR due to unemployment and injustice are forced to travel to Turkey, Russia, Iran and Baku.
The rapporteurs themselves could also see this on the uncrowded streets of Nakhchivan.
The human rights activists also pointed out the limitation of freedom of information, including the Internet. In the NAR there is only one state-run Internet service provider and the authorities periodically block websites through it.
The Internet speed is low, the number of Internet cafes is very limited and in some villages they do not exist.
The human rights activists expressed hope that eventually the report of the PACE representatives will not be affected by "caviar diplomacy" and they will write the truth.
However, the PACE representatives did not meet with local opposition.
Note that the speakers cannot fly from the NAR to Baku due to heavy fog.
They had to depart at 10.00, but the flight has been delayed. -06B-
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