Sunna Aevarsdottir, rapporteur on ‘reported cases of political prisoners in Azerbaijan’, has concluded her three-day fact-finding visit to the country by meeting four current detainees: Taleh Bagirzade, Abbas Huseynov, Afghan Mukhtarli and Said Dadashbeyli.
“I would like to thank the Azerbaijani authorities for arranging the official meetings and generally facilitating my visit,” said Ms Aevarsdottir. “I was encouraged by this constructive attitude, along with the willingness of all those whom I met to discuss this difficult and sensitive problem and to work together with the Council of Europe in order to find solutions.”
“In addition to the four detainees, I was also able to meet with a range of government critics, civil society activists, journalists, lawyers and NGO representatives, as well as members of the local diplomatic community,” she added. “This intensive visit has given me a solid foundation for my report, which will review the current situation and make recommendations for further progress, and which I hope to present to the Assembly’s Legal Affairs Committee by the end of this year.”