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Azerbaijani parliament approves amendments and annexes to constitutional law on â€œHuman Rights Commissionerâ€

21 December 2010 11:56 (UTC +04:00)

Chairman of the parliamentâ€™s committee on legal policy and statehood Ali Huseynov said Ombudsman must fulfill the functions of the national preventive mechanism envisaged in the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT), National preventive Group must be established at the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner. The group must have the right to enter the jails, detention facilities without obstacles or warning in advance, meet with the detainees and other rights. Ali Huseynov said the member of the national preventive group can not be made to give testimony about the facts known to him.

Another annex empowers the Human Rights Commissioner to control the fulfillment of the duties arising from the law on â€œObtaining informationâ€ by the state bodies or officials possessing information.

Following this, discussions began over the draft. Chairperson of the parliamentâ€™s committee on human rights Rabiyyat Aslanova said the amendments and annexes are necessary.

MP Siyavush Novruzov said that each citizen should have a right to obtain information.

MP Elmira Akhundova reminded Department Chief of the Azerbaijan’s Presidential Administration Ali Hasanovâ€™s opinions on giving authorities of information Ombudsman to Human Rights Commissioner. The deputy said that Ombudsman had a lot of works to do in any case and she would not be able to cope with it. Akhundova offered to establish extra staff or group engaged in information at Commissionerâ€™s Office in case of giving authorities to Ombudsman.

MP Igbal Aghazadeh delivered speech against proposal on giving authorities of information ombudsman to human rights commissioner.

The draft has been submitted to voting, 11 people voted in favor of it, and 1 against.

Note that, law on obtaining information adopted in 2005 considered establishment of media ombudsman institute. After the amendments and annexes come into force, thesis on establishment of ombudsman on press under the law on obtaining information will lose its validity.