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Azerbaijanâ€™s Penitentiary Service: The representatives of the European Commission wanted to enter the penitentiary running contrary to the rules

15 November 2012 12:41 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. “Representatives of international organizations and diplomatic missions accredited in Azerbaijan appeal to us for visiting penitentiaries and meeting with some Azerbaijani prisoners. According to the national legislation and international treaties joined by our state, members of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), European Commissioner for Human Rights and according to agreement signed 2000 the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have the right to visit penitentiaries, meet with prisoners. The other international organizations have no such a right,” chief of public affairs department of the Justice Ministry’s Penitentiary Service Mehman Sadigov told APA.
Commenting on some media reports that the delegation led by vice-president of the European Commission Neelie Kroes was not allowed to enter the penitentiary and meet with some prisoners, Mehman Sadigov said:

“The European Delegation to Azerbaijan has sent a verbal note on November 6, 2012, directly to the Penitentiary Service without having addressed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contradicting the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and experience adopted in international community and asked to permit the delegation of 8 led by Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission, who were on a visit to Azerbaijan, to meet with the Azerbaijani prisoners. On November 8, the delegation arrived at the penitentiary facility without receiving any response on the request and insisted on entering and meeting with the prisoners in the penitentiary facility. They were explained that it was contrary to the procedure rules.”