Ilham Aliyev: Rapporteur on Political Prisoners is lawyer of Azerbaijani authorities
By itself, the appointment of the PACE rapporteur on political prisoners is a success and the result of joint work of local and international human rights organizations, said in an interview with the head of Objective TV Intigam Aliyev, Legal Enlisghtenment Society. However, he is not happy that Pedro Agramund was appointed at this post.
"The bad news is that this at post was appointed a man who for a long time acted as a friend and lawyer of the Azerbaijani authorities. Appointment of Pedro Agramunda to this post is a bad event. Agramund throughout the period of its membership in the PACE, on all matters of human rights, elections and political prisoners officially or unofficially supported the Azerbaijani authorities," said Intigam Aliyev.
Local NGOs will have to work on political prisoners in very difficult conditions. The difficulty is that civil society is not uniquely related to this issue. There are many pro-government NGOs which have always occupied a completely opposite position, and some just gone over to the authorities. All this is shown at the PACE sessions during the discussion of political prisoners. Therefore, it will be difficult, but it is necessary work.
Intigam Aliyev believes that there are a few issues the root of the problem: the separation of powers, free elections, free press and an independent judiciary. "If thereare no changes in these areas, independent democratic institutions are created, then there always will be political prisoners. The courts are means to stifle dissent, political opponents, media and civil society. This power effectively uses this tool," said Intigam Aliyev.
Recently the situation with the implementation of the decisions of the European Court in Azerbaijan was discussed in Strasbourg.
Baku submitted to the Committee of Ministers an overall plan of activities in this area. However, from now on, the government should provide a plan for each judicial decision. Therefore, the Committee of Ministers, said the plan submitted by the Azerbaijani authorities, does not provide information about the work and is of a general nature.
For this reason, the Committee of Ministers of Azerbaijan sent a very specific questions. "These issues include the formation of electoral commissions, electoral consideration of complaints of judicial independence, the formation of the judiciary. Azerbaijani authorities ahve been given period for a response to September this year," said Intigam Aliyev.
However, the authorities meet all these suggestions with annoyance, knowing that in the case of free elections, the system could collapse. Azerbaijani citizens will not vote for corrupt and authoritarian rule.
I can not believe that the government will hold democratic elections. In the absence of fundamental freedoms, independent electoral commissions, the separation of powers and the elections cannot be free, says Intigam Aliyev. -03B04-
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