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Milli Majlis approves Azerbaijani Ombudspersonâ€™s report

06 March 2009 12:20 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Elbrus Seyfullayevâ€“APA. Azerbaijani Human Rights Commissioner Elmira Suleymanova submitted report on the â€œMaintenance and protection of human rights and freedoms in Azerbaijan in 2008â€ to the Parliament on Friday. According to APA, Suleymanova said she was ending her 7-year activity as an Ombudsperson and e received 42 260 addresses in this period, including 8600 in 2008. 93 percent of those addresses and 86.6 percent of the last yearâ€™s addresses were complaints. She said some of the addresses didnâ€™t describe the facts and some were anonymous and number of complaints was out of the Ombudspersonâ€™s competency. 52.5 percent of the complaints and 51.2 percent of the last year complaints were refused to be addressed. 47.7 percent of the total complaints and 48.8 percent of last year complaints were taken to the proceedings. Suleymanova said 35.7 percent of the complaints, including 43.3 percent of 2008 complaints were addressed. She said most of complaints were about the bureaucracy and arbitrariness of the bureaucrat. Suleymanova said number of the citizensâ€™ addresses increased because they had more confidence in this institution now.

Then discussions were started over the report. Member of the parliament Siyavush Novruzov said the Ombudspersonâ€™s report was prepared in a high level. He said some international organizations should use the Ombudspersonâ€™s report while preparing their reports on Azerbaijan. Novruzov said some human rights defenders in Azerbaijan were involved in corruption. â€œThere are Armenian-rooted people, who are against Azerbaijan, among them. How can it be that the journalist is arrested while receiving bribe and then the human rights defenders demand to release him?â€
Novruzov stated that Azerbaijan was blamed for not investigating the murder of the journalist.
â€œWe should not forget that there are many disclosed criminal cases in the US. The murder of President John Kennedy has not been investigated by now,â€ he said.

MP Mubariz Gurbanov stressed that serious measures had been taken on human rights in Azerbaijan.

MP Rafael Jabrayilov assessed the report and noted that progresses had been achieved in protection of human rights in Azerbaijan recently. He noted that draft referendum act envisaged important Articles on protection of human rights.
The Parliamentâ€™s Viceâ€“Speaker Bahar Muradova assessed the report of Ombudsman and activity of Elmira Suleymanova.

Ogtay Asadov, Speaker of the Parliament took stance on the issue. He assessed the activity of Elmira Suleymanova and expressed his gratitude to her. Asadov commented on discussions conducted in PACE on appointment of co-rapporteur on political prisoner in Azerbaijan.
The Speaker said that there was not a political prisoner in the country and human rights were protected in the country. There is no need for appointment of PACE co-rapporteur.
â€œWe do not need opposition from abroad, we are opposition to each other,â€ he said.
The Speaker proposed to adopt the report. The oppositional MPs protested it and they wanted to speak about the report.

MP Panah Huseyn wanted to comment on the report.
â€œWe assess Elmira Suleymanova as woman. There are many problems on human rights in Azerbaijan,â€ he said.
Irrespective of it, the report was approved.