PACE Co-rapporteurs Discuss Issue of Political Prisoners with Human Rights Activists

Visiting Azerbaijan, the Co-rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring Committee Stefan Shennack and Cesar Preda met with a group of civil society representatives on June 15.

The meeting participant, a human rights activist Samir Kazimli told Turan that during the meeting they discussed the situation of democracy and human rights.

The main attention was paid to the problem of political prisoners, the need for the removal of restrictive regulations on the law on NGOs, the problems of organizations, whose bank accounts are arrested, and pressure on activists and journalists.

Questions were also raised about the youth activists arrested in recent years and the police raid to the publishing house Ganun.

Kazimli also focused on the ban on leaving the country by some journalists and activists.

He presented the list of these people to the Co-rapporteurs.

The Co-rapporteurs stated that they are aware of this and will raise the issue at their meetings with officials.

The meeting was also attended by the human rights activist Novella Jafaroglu, Saeeda Gojamanli, Saadat Bananyarli and others.

The Co-rapporteurs on June 15 also met separately with a group of former political prisoners - Intigam Aliyev, Hilal Mammadov, Rasul Jafarov, Yadigar Sadigov, Siraj Kerimli and Rashad Mammadov.

In addition, PACE representatives met with the opposition leaders - the head of the National Council of Democratic Forces Jamil Hasanli, the chairman of the Popular Front Party Ali Kerimli and the leader of the party Musavat Arif Hajili.

It should be noted that in December 2015 a working group of civil society prepared a single list of political prisoners, including 93 people. Twenty-four of them have been released. However, new arrests followed, and the list will soon be updated.

According to the Monitoring Group of Human Rights Organizations of Azerbaijan, eight political prisoners remain in detention. -06B--