The Monitoring Group of NGOs hold a roundtable on assessing the latest report of the CE experts on political prisoner issue in Azerbaijan last Friday. The CE experts’ report, which says the problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan has been solved, met with protests and confusion by the local human rights activists and opposition-minded political parties.  (25 July 2004)

W. Shwimmer’s statement

The CE Secretary General, Walter Schwimmer, made public a report on cases of alleged political prisoners in Azerbaijan prepared by his Experts, Professors Stefan Trechsel and Evert Alkema, who, were mandated by the Council of Europe Secretary General to provide opinions on whether prisoners in Azerbaijan, out of a list submitted to them, were political prisoners. While making clear that there should not be a single political prisoner in a Council of Europe member State, Walter Schwimmer stressed that in Azerbaijan virtually all persons considered to be political prisoners by his Experts have either been released or retried. “This demonstrates the good co-operation established with the Azerbaijani authorities; it also illustrates the usefulness of the work of my Experts. The procedure established was indeed confidential and quite lengthy but it allowed for possible settlements to the satisfaction of all concerned”. To thank his Independent Experts for the tremendous work undertaken on behalf of the Council of Europe, Mr Schwimmer awarded them Pro-Merito medals last week.

Commitment before CE

The Azerbaijani authorities committed themselves to release or grant a new trial to those prisoners regarded as “political prisoners” by human rights organisations when the country acceded to the Council of Europe in January 2001.

The NGOs disagree with the report

Novella Jafaroglu, an eminent human rights activist, expressed her disagreement with CE Secretary General Walter Schwimmer’s statement that the problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan was resolved.  “95 new political prisoners appeared in the country after the presidential elections last year”, she noted.
Saida Gojamanli, head of Azeri Bureau for Human Rights and Observation of Laws, said that unless the authorities solve problem of political prisoners, they will face serious pressure of international structures and local community. “The released political prisoners were replaced with new ones, particularly after the fraud presidential elections of 2003”.  

 Vagif Hajibeyli, human rights activist, said he was confused by position of Schwimmer, who in the past was saying that even one political prisoner was too much for a CE member-state.
    Parliamentary deputy Gulamhuseyn Alibeyli said that all detainees sentenced in relation to October events of last year were political prisoners.
    Ali Kerimli and Mirmahmud Miralioglu – heads of two wings of the PopularFront Party, Musavat party leader Isa Gambar, head of Great Creation party Fazil Gazanfaroglu, head of DPA Supreme Council Nureddin Mamedli and others, indicated at “groundless concessions” of CE to the authorities of Azerbaijan.

Negative attitude to CE


    The roundable participants stated that unless the problem of political prisoners is resolved at autumn session of PACE, Azeri community will sound its negative attitude to the Council of Europe.