BAKU: Saida Gojamanli: "Azerbaijani Human Rights Defenders Achieved

SAIDA GOJAMANLI: "AZERBAIJANI HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS ACHIEVED THEIR GOAL IN COUNCIL OF EUROPE"

Today, Azerbaijan
April 19 2007

Azerbaijani human rights defenders, who attended the debates on
Azerbaijan in the spring session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary
Assembly (PACE), arrived in Baku.

Saida Gojamanli, chief of the bureau of defense of human rights and
legislation told the APA that the rights defenders achieved their goal.

"We told the PACE members that we are satisfied with the
co-rapporteurs’ report and gave our proposals. Our proposals on
formation of election commissions on parity, independent operation
of Public Television, trial of former health minister Ali Insanov,
arrest of parliamentarian Huseyn Abdullaev, release of sick prisoners,
commuting lifers’ sentence to 15-year imprisonment were reflected in
PACE resolution," she said.

Saida Gojamanli said that their lobbyist activity with regard to the
Nagorno Karabakh was also a success.

"The points on Nagorno Karabakh in the resolution adopted about
Azerbaijan remained unchanged despite Armenian delegation. Taking into
account the Karabakh problem, we did not raise the issue on political
prisoners. We consider that the problem can be solved within the
working group on human rights," she said.

Human rights defenders Chingiz Ganizade, Saida Gojamanli, Saadat
Bananyarli, Novella Jafaroglu, Arzu Abdullayeva and Eldar Zeynalov
had meetings with Secretary of the Council of Europe Venice Commission
Giovanni Buquicchio, former PACE co-rapporteur on Azerbaijan Andreas
Gross, co-rapporteurs Andres Herkel and Tony Lloyd.

URL:

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