Foreign

Home page

Foreign

Azerbaijanâ€™s Ombudsman takes a stance on Terry Davisâ€™ statement

12 February 2009 17:22 (UTC +04:00)

Tbilisi. Nizami Mammadzadeh â€“ APA. â€œNot only Terry Davis, but also we are concerned over the imprisonment of journalists in Azerbaijan. I have appealed to the head of state twice. We always pay special attention to this issue. Our employees regularly concern themselves with their detention condition, meet with them and learn their complaints. We have done everything that is in our competence and now are waiting for the results,â€ Azerbaijani Ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova told APAâ€™s Georgia bureau while taking a stance on the statement of the Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis on the state of freedom of speech in Azerbaijan.

Ombudsman said the Secretary Generalâ€™s concern over some amendments and changes to Azerbaijani Constitution in terms of freedom of speech was â€œhis own opinionâ€ and added:
â€œReferendumâ€™s outcomes will be the expression of Azerbaijani peopleâ€™s will.â€

Ombudsman said she presented annual report to the parliament.
â€œThe annual report of last year is being prepared now. This report is submitted to President, Cabinet of Ministers, parliament,â€ she said.

Elmira Suleymanova said some newspapers write that her tenure will expire in February or in April.
â€œMy tenure has been determined by law and will expire on July 2 this year. According to Azerbaijanâ€™s legislation, Ombudsman is elected for a seven-year term. I am the first ombudsman of Azerbaijan and was elected on July 2, 2002. When my tenure expires, Mr. President will nominate three persons and the parliament will choose one of them,â€ she said.