2 February 2009
AssA-Irada

Azerbaijan may reconsider its relations with the Council of Europe if double standards persist, the head of the country’s delegation at the CE Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) has warned.

Samad Seyidov said in parliament Monday that Azerbaijan has been operating actively and constructively in the PACE for many years and is meeting all of its obligations to the organization. So far, only the assembly’s recommendations regarding the Law on Alternative (Military) Service has not been adopted. Delays in passing the law are due to Azerbaijan’s being in a state of war with Armenia.

“Nonetheless, Azerbaijan is keen on meeting this obligation as well,” Seyidov said.

Seyidov stressed that while comprehending the brunt of responsibility before the CE, Azerbaijan is expecting the same position from the other side. “But, so far, we have been witnessing a completely unexpected attitude that is not in line with reality.”

Seyidov emphasized that the 2008 presidential election in Azerbaijan was highly assessed by all international organizations, and the same feedback was issued by prominent European politicians and parliament members. Despite this, however, PACE ranked Azerbaijan among countries that strangle dissent with killings, conduct hundreds of politically-motivated arrests, shut media outlets and block citizens’ access to the Internet. “This attitude is non-objective and unbearable.”

Seyidov said the CE, along with disregarding the positive developments ongoing in Azerbaijan, is trying to “seek problems” in the country. Thus, the group is again trying to raise the issue of “political prisoners” and is striving toward the appointment of a special rapporteur on human rights violations and political prisoners, while in Armenia, for instance, persons arrested for political reasons are not being branded as political prisoners.

“If a rapporteur on political prisoner issues is appointed, Azerbaijan will revisit its relations with the CE.”

Seyidov said the processes ongoing within the CE represent a policy aimed, at some point and to some extent, to put pressure on the country and divert it from the path it has stepped upon. “Therefore, our delegation, while expressing the position of its own, the partiament leadership and the president, stated that if this process, this case relates to Azerbaijan, we have to alter our relations with this organization and we will.”