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PACE rapporteurs concern over conviction of bloggers in Azerbaijan

12 November 2009 15:56 (UTC +04:00)

Strasbourg. Fuad Gulubeyli â€“ APA. Andres Herkel (Estonia, EPP/CD), co-rapporteur for the monitoring of Azerbaijan, and Christoph StrÃ¤sser (Germany, SOC), rapporteur on the follow-up to the issue of political prisoners in Azerbaijan by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), expressed their dismay at the conviction of bloggers Adnan Hadjizadeh and Emin Milli, following a two-month trial. â€œThis case is yet another blow to freedom of expression in Azerbaijan and a serious setback on the countryâ€™s path to democratisation. The disproportionate legal charges, the lack of transparency in the investigation process, the use of closed court hearings, and the failure to charge the other persons involved in the altercation raise wider concerns about the independence of the police and the judiciary in the countryâ€, said the rapporteurs.

Herkel and StrÃ¤sser called for an appeal procedure open to international observation in line with European standards for a fair trial. The rapporteurs also underlined their intention to pay great attention to the arrest and conviction of opposition activists and representatives of civil society while preparing their respective reports on Azerbaijan.