POLITICS
CE SECRETARY GENERAL WELCOMES AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT’S DECREE ON AMNESTY
“This is a significant step towards democratic progress in Azerbaijan and the fulfillment of commitments undertaken by the country when it joined the Council of Europe. I commend the President for this courageous gesture of reconciliation, which demonstrated Azerbaijan’s willingness to solve such problem – one which should not exist in a Council of Europe member State”, said Walter Schwimmer.
The Azerbaijani authorities committed themselves to release or grant a new trial to those prisoners regarded as “political prisoners” by human rights organizations when the country acceded to the Council of Europe in January 2001.
The Secretary General recalls that there are a number of cases of individuals whose names are not included in the list of alleged political prisoners examined by the independent experts. He encouraged the Azerbaijani authorities to give urgent attention to these cases, which should be treated in the same spirit of reconciliation.