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PACE bureau likely to consider appointment of special rapporteur on political prisoners for Azerbaijan

29 February 2008 11:21 (UTC +04:00)

PACE committee on legal affairs and human rights raised the issue on appointing special rapporteur. Co-rapporteur of PACE Monitoring Committee on Azerbaijan Adres Herkel told APA that nothing new happened in connection with the ill-health prisoners and imprisoned journalists after he visited Baku along with other co-rapporteur Eugenia Zhivkova early in February.
â€œRights defenders say amnesty is expected by Novruz holiday. This fact will be taken into consideration, if ill-health prisoners and imprisoned journalists are released by the meeting of the bureau. Otherwise, the bureau has neat arguments to appoint the rapporteur,â€ he said.
Head of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, vice-president of PACE Samad Seyidov told APA that he will attend the bureauâ€™s meeting and take a stance on the issue only after the meeting. As regards the pardon decree, Samad Seyidov said it is in the presidentâ€™s competence.