POLITICS
Slovenian MP doubts objectivity of Amnesty International report on Azerbaijan
Baku, December 10 (AZERTAC). A working group on "international standards in human rights" has criticized an Amnesty International report on Azerbaijan as biased and utopian.
The Joint Working Group for the Implementation of International Human Rights Standards made the comment at a meeting in Baku on Friday.
"Azerbaijan has achieved good results in developing democracy. Within the last 20 years, this country has walked on the straight path, showing good governance. Democracy can’t be established in a short period, it needs time," a member of the working group, Belgian Constitutional Court judge Jean-Paul Murman stated.
According to Murman, Azerbaijan is characterized by the presence of tolerance, gender equality, religious freedom and the development of its citizens.
Member of PACE Monitoring Committee and Slovenian Parliament Zmago Jelinčič also doubted the objectivity of the report because it overlooked the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“The question rises as to why the report didn’t include a single word about Nagorno-Karabakh. Despite four UN resolutions on occupied Azerbaijani territories, the international community hasn’t made any step to implement the resolutions. Amnesty International also keeps silent when it comes to this issue,” Jelinčič underlined.
According to the Slovenian MP, he has visited Azerbaijan several times and seen no sign of political tyranny.
“Such negative moments can be seen just in France and the UK,” the MP said.
The Amnesty International report said that peaceful protest had effectively been criminalized by a ban on demonstrations and the imprisonment of those who organize and take part in them.
A member of the Belgian Parliament Alain Destexhe underlined that Amnesty International had admitted blunders before while making assessments.
“Freedom of speech and assembly is, no doubt, an integral part of democracy, but it should be regulated by the legislation of every country individually,” Destexhe said.