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PACE co-rapporteurs are in Nakhchivan

10 April 2009 15:58 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Kamala Guliyeva, C. Gurbanoglu â€“ APA. Azerbaijan Human Rights Commissioner Elmira Suelymanova met with PACE Monitoring Committee co-rapporteurs on Azerbaijan Anders Herkel and Eugenia Zhivkova, the Human Rights Commissioner Office told APA. The Ombudsperson said human rights and freedoms were important directions of the democratic development in Azerbaijan and informed the co-rapporteurs about the measures taken over the recent years. The Commissioner said she observed eight elections during her seven-year activity and concluded that both election legislation and experience were improved in the country. She said condition in the penitentiaries, attitude to the prisoners were improved and cases of rough behavior by police were reduced as a result of laws and trainings. Suleymanova said 9 acts of amnesty were adopted and 45 decrees of pardon were signed so far and ten thousands of people were released. The Commissioner also spoke about the problems.

Elmira Suleymanova said the national minorities, ethnic groups had been historically living in peace, they did not face discrimination, there was national religious tolerance. The Human Rights Commissioner noted the necessity of solving Nagorno Karabakh conflict basing on the norms and principles of the international law and within the framework of Azerbaijanâ€™s territorial integrity. She said peaceful solution to the conflict served the interests of both countries, in order to maintain peace in the region, it is necessary to ensure sustainable development.

The co-rapporteurs have today left for Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. APAâ€™s local bureau reports that they have already met with chairman of Nakhchivan AR Supreme Assembly Vasif Talibov.

The co-rapporteurs also met with the representatives of NGOs and opposition parties in Nakhchivan.

The co-rapporteurs will end their visit to Azerbaijan on April 11. They will prepare a report basing on the outcomes of their visit.