ARMENIA AGAINST NOMINATING AZERI OMBUDSWOMAN FOR CE COMMISSIONER

PanARMENIAN.Net - "The organization for defense of interests of Gurgen Margaryan has issued a statement, which specifically notes, "Reports have appeared in the Azeri press that Human Rights Commissioner (Ombudsperson) of Azerbaijan Elmira Suleymanova has been nominated for the office of Council of Europe (CE) Human Rights Commissioner among other 7 candidates. The Azeri party calls this "a brilliant diplomatic move." Leaving aside the personal record of E. Suleymanova and the evaluation of her work in Azerbaijan, we would like to draw the CE attention to some aspects of her activities in Armenian-Azeri conflict and the settlement process. Analysis of Suleymanova's individual actions and statements leave no doubt that the Ombudsperson institute and the Human Rights Commissioner of Azerbaijan have become a mouthpiece of Azeri authorities' official policy, supporting in every way possible the anti-Armenian, xenophobic and racist rhetoric both within the countries and beyond its limits. There are many examples of that policy in today's Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, until now we do not know any cases of the institution protecting the rights of a few hundred Armenians, who are still in Baku and are subject to persecution and violence. Moreover, the institution in the person of Suleymanova has many times criticizes authoritative international human rights organizations, who included Azerbaijan in the list of not free countries, while Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh were found among partially free ones. This stand is not surprising at all, taking into account the unaccountable statement of Suleymanova, made after the brutal murder of Armenian officer G. Margaryan in Budapest in February 2004 by Azeri officer R. Safarov, who were both taking English language courses within NATO Partnership for Peace Program. The Azeri Ombudswoman called the barbaric crime "an example of genuine patriotism for the Azeri youth." The NGO for protection of G. Margaryan's interests considers its duty to state that the inclusion of Elmira Suleymanova into list of candidates for the office of Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner does not do the CE credit. Thus CE attachment to high human rights ideals, their observation and protection irrespective of ethnic, national and religious identity are questioned. The politicization of the election process and insufficient demands to candidates for the high and important office are able to discredit the European institution itself and cause serious doubts that the CE in the person of the Human Rights Commissioner really considers human rights and basic freedoms a priority value of the European civilization scale, which is not subject to undeserving political conjuncture and withstands all challenges of our hard times with dignity," reported IA Regnum.