Turan News Agency,
4, March 2008

Today's Milli Mejlis session heard the annual report of the Ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova. In 2007, she said, 7,900 complaints were lodged to the Ombudsman institution, of which 1,148 complaints about judicial agencies, 318 complaints about failure to execute court decisions, 430 complaints against local authorities, 233 complaints about municipalities, 356 complaints about Prosecutor's Office and 725 complaints about police.

Ombudsman also said that during this period 144 human rights violation cases were registered. In this connection serious disciplinary measures were taken against 199 employees of internal troops, 9 ones were brought to criminal responsibility and 18 ones were dismissed from agencies.

The Ombudsman's report reads that punishment for freedom of speech is inadmissible, but it also contains the phrase that some journalists were brought to responsibility not "for their professional activities."

Ombudsman has also touched upon freedom of conscience. She said it is necessary to train theologians for them to teach in secondary schools. This is recommendation of Council of Europe and it is planned to create religion institution. Ombudsman reminded that by present 366 Islamic communities and 31 non-Islamic, of which 20 Christian, 7 Jewish and others have been registered in Azerbaijan. Discussion of the report continues.