Turan News Agency,
8, February 2008

The problem of political prisoners, in particular, that of the accused journalists, was discussed by the rapporteurs of PACE Monitoring Committee for Azerbaijan, Andreas Herkel and Eugenia Zhivkova. The monitoring groups from human-right advocacy organizations participated in the meeting, the human right advocate, Novella Jafaroglu, said.

The head of Azerbaijan's Parliamentary Delegation to PACE, Samed Seyidov who said there are not political prisoners in the country also participated in the meeting. He recognized the probable existence of a few prisoners, against whom wrong trials were conducted and whose "human rights could be violated". At the same time, Seyidov said that PACE demonstrates double standards against Azerbaijan. There are political prisoners in Armenia and Russia, but the rapporteurs have only been appointed for Azerbaijan.

The human-right advocates focused on the necessity of releasing the accused journalists and sick political prisoners. They said the authorities limit the freedom of assembly and arrest people for attending street rallies. In particular they noted the detention of the Dalga Youth Movement's activists who wanted to celebrate the birthday of the Azerbaijan People's Republic's founder, Mammadamin Rasulzadeh, etc.

The human-right advocates said that if the authorities release all the political prisoners and journalists, it will become unnecessary to raise a question about the appointment of a rapporteur for political prisoners.

The PACE rapporteur, Andreas Herkel, said they had met with the journalist, Eynulla Fatullayev, the Ex-minister of Health Care, Ali Insanov, the former Military Regiment Commander, Rasim Akperov, and the policeman, Mushfig Madatov.

At the same time, the rapporteurs were not permitted to meet with the journalist brothers, Sakit and Ganimat Zahidovs, and the Ex-minister of Economic Development, Farkhad Aliyev.