PACE by eyes of the witnesses
21 – 23 January 2013 the representatives of the IOLR took part in a work of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. It is true, if participation is considered to be a presence in the gallery during the plenary sessions of the Assembly, listening to simultaneous interpretations and meetings in the lobby and coffee shops with common deputies and rather unusual human rights defenders (see please, www.iolr.org – Gallery).
Official delegation of Azerbaijan landed of troops from the representatives of pro-governmental NGO which immediately began to “get to work” on parliamentarians from the “friendly” countries.
There were the leading Azerbaijani human rights defenders in the sessions of PACE; female part of which, mainly discussed in the buffet discounts in prestigious stores and explained each other disposition of the facilities where the discounts had place up to 70%.
Well-groomed boys in expensive suits and silk ties, representing the pro-government NGOs, contrasted sharply with the democratic youth, who arrived in Strasbourg to defend his ideals, based on universal values. The latter were engaged in work to which they serve, while the firsts tried to arrange entrusted affairs.
Parliamentarian from the Ukrainian party “Knock” Pavlo Ryabikin asked question to the IOLR representative: “Say honestly, whether exist political prisoners in Azerbaijan and everything is as bad as stated in the report of Strasser? Two days your representatives try to inspire me that there are no any political prisoners in Azerbaijan. All this is machinations of the enemies of your state. They invite me to visit Baku for their account to be convinced on the place”.
The reply was that the report of K. Strasser is not complete and the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan an order more. Strasser was not allowed to visit Baku, but because he could not get a full of data; the number of political prisoners are increased exponentially. Hundreds of people are sitting in prison, and they are not able to inform the public of violations of their rights, etc. P. Ryabikin promised to vote for the report of Ch. Strasser and, in turn, told about two young people of Kiev, who were arrested for painting – graffiti a “bliss point” on the forehead of the President Yanukovych.
By the way, he kept his promise and voted for the report of Ch. Strasser.
It was interesting a press conference which held a Chairman of public movement “For human rights” Eynulla Fatullayev. A few hours before the discussion of the report on Azerbaijan he arrived in Strasbourg from Brussels.
Few those present persons were listening in bewilderment Fatullayev who subjected criticized the report of Ch. Strasser, but he could not coherently answer questions of the IOLR representative, about arrival of whose in Strasburg Fatullayev apparently was not notified.
So, Fatullayev instead of answer to the question whether he denies the existence of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, and correctly chosen the time and place for attempts criticized the report of Ch. Strasser, in the best traditions of the Party meeting asked the name of person asking questions and provided a name of the presented organization.
Learning that the IOLR is from Azerbaijan, E. Fatullayev, not answering the question, continued his discussion of the role of Plato in the development of Azerbaijani statehood, but got from hard-bitten representative of our organization a few more questions.
Thus, Fatullayev was asked again about whether he knew that the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan increases systematically, whether he realized to whom he helps, criticizing the paper of Ch. Strasser, whether he consider the right time to criticize the state of human rights in Germany, whether he agree with that the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan are much more than is indicated in the report of Ch. Strasser.
Instead of answering, E. Fatullayev announced the completion of the press conference and offended came to the lobby.
On January, 23 at 15.30 it began discussion of two reports on Azerbaijan. Results of these reports are well known and long time they will be a subject of discussions of specialists including criminologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and it is possible of criminalists.
Note only that in the upper ranks of the amphitheater, where from a course of session were watched by human rights defenders, independent media and some invited persons periodically was heard the drone, in which sensitive people could hear Lenin’s assessments to the performances of opponents of the report of Ch. Strasser; the most ethical of which were “political prostitute” and “corrupt creature”.
Following the session K. Strasser, held a press conference at which he said that he remains of the same opinion, and voting results explained by the “caviar diplomacy”.
Then, in the same hall press conference were held by the Azerbaijani human rights defenders Malahat Nasibova, Emin Huseynov, Rasul Jafarov and Rashid Hajili, who characterized the results of the PACE vote as betrayal of democracy and declared by the Council of Europe values. They declared their intention to continue the struggle for the establishment of true democracy in Azerbaijan, intensify efforts to protect the rights and freedoms of the citizens of the Republic, which were sold, and betrayed by the PACE.
The IOLR joins to this statement in connection with the complete convergence of views, goals and objectives.
This post is also available in: Russian
