 This file photo shows Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg, who is currently in Yerevan to discuss jailed opposition members. AA photo |
Azerbaijan has failed to grant a visa to a Council of Europe, or CoE, rapporteur for the Caucasus country while the body is also facing resistance in Armenia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, or RFE/RL, reported this week.
Christoph Straesser, a German parliament member, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Tuesday that he has been trying since May to obtain an invitation from the Azerbaijani government that would allow him to apply for a visa. He said he intended to travel to Azerbaijan in February.
Straesser serves as the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE's, or PACE, special rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan.
He said he raised the issue with Samad Seyidov, the head of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, and that it would be discussed by the PACE Legal Affairs Committee on Monday.
Baku allowed Straesser to visit in November, when he was part of a PACE mission observing the parliamentary elections. But he said he has been unable to secure a government invitation, required because of his position as a special rapporteur. He first mentioned his problem to RFE/RL in November.
Seyidov told RFE/RL at the time that Azerbaijani officials were not blocking a visit by Straesser.
But Seyidov added that international organizations should abandon their double standards with regard to Azerbaijan. "Show me [another] country where PACE has appointed a special rapporteur on political prisoners.”
Azerbaijani authorities deny they are holding any political prisoners. They say the people identified as political prisoners by local human rights defenders and international watchdogs were sentenced for committing criminal offenses.
Straesser told RFE/RL that Azerbaijani officials had told him that his visit did not pose a problem, yet he has not received an official explanation for the refusal to send him an invitation.
He warned the Azerbaijani government that if he failed to obtain an invitation, he would complete his report for PACE, suggesting it would not reflect well on Azerbaijan.
"It will be an unusual report, the first report compiled by a rapporteur [who has not visited] the target country” in that capacity, he said.
Straesser said he could also ask PACE to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan, possibly in the form of barring Baku from voting at some PACE sessions.
Straesser has come under fire from opposition politicians and rights activists in Azerbaijan for what they say is his inactivity.
Opposition leaders refused to meet the CoE's election observers who visited last year, highlighting that Straesser had yet to travel to Azerbaijan to address the issue of political prisoners.
Concerns in Yerevan
Meanwhile, Thomas Hammarberg, the CoE's commissioner for human rights, expressed concern during a fact-finding visit to Yerevan about the continuing imprisonment of Armenian opposition members, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported.
“It’s a problem that there are still people in prison because of what happened in March,” Hammarbrg told RFE/RL, speaking about the political turmoil that occurred in March 2008 demonstrations following the previous month’s elections. “We are concerned that 10 people were killed during the demonstrations and so far no one has been held to account and that is a real problem. I hope the [authorities] will demonstrate their political will” to punish those responsible for the violence.
Hammarberg held separate meetings with Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian, opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrossian, human rights campaigners and media representatives on Tuesday, the first day of a three-day trip.
He was also scheduled to meet with Armenian President Serge Sarkisian, other senior government officials, and leaders of the political parties represented in the Armenian parliament.
The discussions were expected to focus on the Armenian authorities' human rights record and, in particular, their compliance with resolutions adopted by PACE following their 2008 post-election crackdown on the Ter-Petrossian-led opposition.
PACE demanded the release of all opposition figures arrested on "seemingly artificial or politically motivated charges" and an objective inquiry into the deadly March 2008 clashes in Yerevan.
Christoph Straesser, a German parliament member, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Tuesday that he has been trying since May to obtain an invitation from the Azerbaijani government that would allow him to apply for a visa. He said he intended to travel to Azerbaijan in February.
Straesser serves as the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE's, or PACE, special rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan.
He said he raised the issue with Samad Seyidov, the head of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, and that it would be discussed by the PACE Legal Affairs Committee on Monday.
Baku allowed Straesser to visit in November, when he was part of a PACE mission observing the parliamentary elections. But he said he has been unable to secure a government invitation, required because of his position as a special rapporteur. He first mentioned his problem to RFE/RL in November.
Seyidov told RFE/RL at the time that Azerbaijani officials were not blocking a visit by Straesser.
But Seyidov added that international organizations should abandon their double standards with regard to Azerbaijan. "Show me [another] country where PACE has appointed a special rapporteur on political prisoners.”
Azerbaijani authorities deny they are holding any political prisoners. They say the people identified as political prisoners by local human rights defenders and international watchdogs were sentenced for committing criminal offenses.
Straesser told RFE/RL that Azerbaijani officials had told him that his visit did not pose a problem, yet he has not received an official explanation for the refusal to send him an invitation.
He warned the Azerbaijani government that if he failed to obtain an invitation, he would complete his report for PACE, suggesting it would not reflect well on Azerbaijan.
"It will be an unusual report, the first report compiled by a rapporteur [who has not visited] the target country” in that capacity, he said.
Straesser said he could also ask PACE to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan, possibly in the form of barring Baku from voting at some PACE sessions.
Straesser has come under fire from opposition politicians and rights activists in Azerbaijan for what they say is his inactivity.
Opposition leaders refused to meet the CoE's election observers who visited last year, highlighting that Straesser had yet to travel to Azerbaijan to address the issue of political prisoners.
Concerns in Yerevan
Meanwhile, Thomas Hammarberg, the CoE's commissioner for human rights, expressed concern during a fact-finding visit to Yerevan about the continuing imprisonment of Armenian opposition members, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported.
“It’s a problem that there are still people in prison because of what happened in March,” Hammarbrg told RFE/RL, speaking about the political turmoil that occurred in March 2008 demonstrations following the previous month’s elections. “We are concerned that 10 people were killed during the demonstrations and so far no one has been held to account and that is a real problem. I hope the [authorities] will demonstrate their political will” to punish those responsible for the violence.
Hammarberg held separate meetings with Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian, opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrossian, human rights campaigners and media representatives on Tuesday, the first day of a three-day trip.
He was also scheduled to meet with Armenian President Serge Sarkisian, other senior government officials, and leaders of the political parties represented in the Armenian parliament.
The discussions were expected to focus on the Armenian authorities' human rights record and, in particular, their compliance with resolutions adopted by PACE following their 2008 post-election crackdown on the Ter-Petrossian-led opposition.
PACE demanded the release of all opposition figures arrested on "seemingly artificial or politically motivated charges" and an objective inquiry into the deadly March 2008 clashes in Yerevan.
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