ARMENIA AGAINST NOMINATING AZERI OMBUDSWOMAN FOR CE COMMISSIONER
Pan Armenian News
08.09.2005 02:51
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “The organization for defense of interests of Gurgen
Margaryan has issued a statement, which specifically notes, “Reports
have appeared in the Azeri press that Human Rights Commissioner
(Ombudsperson) of Azerbaijan Elmira Suleymanova has been nominated
for the office of Council of Europe (CE) Human Rights Commissioner
among other 7 candidates. The Azeri party calls this “a brilliant
diplomatic move.” Leaving aside the personal record of E. Suleymanova
and the evaluation of her work in Azerbaijan, we would like to draw
the CE attention to some aspects of her activities in Armenian-Azeri
conflict and the settlement process. Analysis of Suleymanova’s
individual actions and statements leave no doubt that the Ombudsperson
institute and the Human Rights Commissioner of Azerbaijan have become a
mouthpiece of Azeri authorities’ official policy, supporting in every
way possible the anti-Armenian, xenophobic and racist rhetoric both
within the countries and beyond its limits. There are many examples
of that policy in today’s Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, until now we
do not know any cases of the institution protecting the rights of
a few hundred Armenians, who are still in Baku and are subject to
persecution and violence. Moreover, the institution in the person of
Suleymanova has many times criticizes authoritative international
human rights organizations, who included Azerbaijan in the list of
not free countries, while Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh were found
among partially free ones. This stand is not surprising at all,
taking into account the unaccountable statement of Suleymanova,
made after the brutal murder of Armenian officer G. Margaryan in
Budapest in February 2004 by Azeri officer R. Safarov, who were
both taking English language courses within NATO Partnership for
Peace Program. The Azeri Ombudswoman called the barbaric crime
“an example of genuine patriotism for the Azeri youth.” The NGO for
protection of G. Margaryan’s interests considers its duty to state
that the inclusion of Elmira Suleymanova into list of candidates for
the office of Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner does not
do the CE credit. Thus CE attachment to high human rights ideals,
their observation and protection irrespective of ethnic, national
and religious identity are questioned. The politicization of the
election process and insufficient demands to candidates for the high
and important office are able to discredit the European institution
itself and cause serious doubts that the CE in the person of the
Human Rights Commissioner really considers human rights and basic
freedoms a priority value of the European civilization scale, which
is not subject to undeserving political conjuncture and withstands
all challenges of our hard times with dignity,” reported IA Regnum.