A large group of civil society activists, politicians, former political prisoners have appealed to the head of PACE, Jean-Claude Mignon, with a call to extend the mandate of the rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan.
The letter stated that on January 23, due to "suspicious” lobbying activities of the Azerbaijani authorities', draft a resolution on political prisoners in Azerbaijan, which was rejected, because 125 members of PACE voted against the project.
"Another issue of concern was that PACE Monitoring Committee Rapporteurs, Pedro Agramunt and Joseph Gresh voted against the resolution.
Despite the fact that over the last two years, they had sight of political prisoners and their repression, they did not investigate," the statement says.
The authors regard the report’s rejection by Strasser as unjust and an inhumane step with the political interests of Azerbaijani authorities and the deprivation of support to the people suffering from repression.
It undermines the Azerbaijani citizen’s trust of PACE. In addition, PACE spurred authorities on new political repression which saw a growth in the number of political prisoners in the last two months.
Given the existence of 60 political prisoners in Azerbaijan (or potential prisoners awaiting conviction), the authors call for the extension of the mandate of the rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan.
The authors request the replacement of speakers on the Monitoring Committee on Azerbaijan because of the loss of public confidence.
In addition, the authors are requested not to include PACE’s observation mission for the presidential elections of October 16, 2013 in Azerbaijan or the MPs who voted against the resolution on the political prisoners.
The appeal, signed by 45 politicians, civil society activists and former political prisoners, was sent to the author of the above draft resolution Christoph Strasser, CE Secretary General Thorbjorn Yangland, the head of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Gilbert Sounio, the CoE Commissioner for Human Rights Nielsen Muzhnieks, and members of PACE. -03D06-
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