Thorbjorn Jagland calls on Azerbaijan to respect obligations to CoE

PanARMENIAN.Net - In a letter to President Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland expressed his concerns about the respect for the pluralism of political debate, freedom of expression, and freedom of association in the country.

“Several developments are causing concern with regard to the commitments and obligations in the fields of the protection and promotion of human rights, pluralist democracy and the rule of law Azerbaijan subscribed to on becoming a member state of the Council of Europe,” Mr. Jagland said.

The Secretary General called for a change to the very restrictive approach to the freedom of Assembly, following the number of recent arrests prior to the demonstrations held in Baku on 11 and 12 March. He also expressed his disappointment at the continued failure of the Azerbaijan authorities to implement the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights and to look at all the possibilities to end the detention of the imprisoned editor Mr Eynulla Fatullayev.

The Secretary General reiterated the offer to help the Azerbaijan authorities to bring the legislation and the administrative and judicial practices in protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms to the level expected from a member State of the Council of Europe. He also expressed his willingness to visit Baku and discuss these issues with President Aliyev and his administration, the CoE said on its website.