The fact that the head of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, Rabiyat Aslanova, cannot distinguish between the activities of NGOs from business activities causes just a smile, this is how Samir Kazimly, the head the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (EMDSC) commented on the statements by Rabiyat Aslanova on June 30 at the meeting of the committee of the OSCE PA in the case of Anar Mammadov, the head of the EMDSC. Thus, the Norwegian deputy Bekkevold proposed at the committee meeting amendment to the draft resolution calling for the release of Mammadov sentenced to 5.5 years in prison on charges of committing crimes. In response, Aslanova told that Mammadov committed specific criminal acts, in particular illegal business.
Kazimly, in turn, said that it is not the first time when Aslanova says such unfounded things about political prisoners and "prisoners of conscience." "Unfortunately Rabiyat Aslanova, as chairman of the Milli Majlis Committee for Human Rights, continues to say unreasonable things. It is a matter of conscience. To call innocent people arrested for political reasons criminals is itself a moral crime," said Kazimly. He called insolvent Aslanova’s statements that the Norwegian deputy used unverified information from opposition sources. Kazimly reminded that representatives of international organizations and diplomatic corps watched the trial in the case of Mammadov and have the information from the first source.
"If the chairman of the parliament's committee for human rights would be such a desire, she could take part in the trial and would have an objective view on this matter," said Kazimly.
He noted that Anar Mammadov repeatedly claimed about fraud and unjustified charges against him and it was proved at the trial.
"A number of democratic states, local and international human rights organizations have declared the innocence of Anar Mammadov. Everyone knows that the real reasons for arrests of Anar Mammadov and Bashir Suleymanli was the organization and conducting the election monitoring and dissemination of the report.
As for the charges of illegal business, Mammadov himself told that he had never been involved in legal nor illegal business," said Kazimly.
In his view, the best answer for Aslanova became the fact that people voted for the amendment, and it was adopted. -03D06 –
Politics
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