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PACE urges countries subject to monitoring procedure and those engaged in post-monitoring dialogue to fulfill commitments entered into upon accession to Council of Europe

02 October 2013 13:34 (UTC +04:00)

APA reports that this resolution was adopted on the basis of a report by former Co-Rapporteur of PACE on Azerbaijan Andres Herkel (Estonia, EPP/CD) at the PACE plenary session in Strasbourg. 86 parliamentarians voted in favor of it, 31 against and 9 abstained.

In particular, the Assembly commends the committee on its action in accompanying 10 countries under specific monitoring (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, the Russian Federation, Serbia and Ukraine), and four countries engaged in a post-monitoring dialogue (Bulgaria, Monaco, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” and Turkey). It urged these countries "to fully comply with recommendations made by the respective monitoring mechanisms of the Council of Europe".

The resolution covers reports about the lack of independence of the judiciary and restrictions on basic freedoms, including freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of association, as well as the about alleged political prisoners and alleged cases of torture and ill-treatment by the police in Azerbaijan. The parliamentarians urged Parliament and the authorities of Azerbaijan to create conditions which would allow for a fair electoral campaign and presidential election, in compliance with democratic standards.