European analysts slam PACE rapporteur for Azerbaijan

PACE will consider two reports on Azerbaijan during the winter session which kicked off in Strasbourg on Monday. European Stability Initiative NGO has issued a report on activities of PACE monitoring rapporteur for Azerbaijan Pedro Agramunt titled “Monitoring Azerbaijan or Why Pedro Agramunt should resign.”

“There are very few fellow members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) who have been to Azerbaijan as regularly over the past decade as Pedro Agramunt, the conservative Spanish senator, a businessman from Valencia. Agramunt has been consistent in this approach to Azerbaijan: from the very beginning of his relationship with Baku he has been a defender of the Aliyev regime. The latest monitoring report is his masterpiece.,” the expert said.

They bring a number of wordings not complying with real situation in Azerbaijan, calling Agramunt’s report “an effort to hide a simple truth” and “a portrait of deception.”

“n the whole report there is no mention of the fact that the authorities in Baku continue to deny even the possibility that political prisoners might exist – and that they totally stone-walled the PACE rapporteur for political prisoners Christoph Straesser during his entire mandate starting in March 2009, during which Straesser was refused a visa to travel to Azerbaijan on a fact-finding visit).”

The style of Agramunt’s report “is like putting lipstick on a pig, ignoring the increasing level of repression in all areas by an openly authoritarian regime. This goes against the Council of Europe’s clearly defined standards.”

The analysts mention that the only thing which triggered sharpest expression of anger in the whole report was “unprecedented pressure from a number of Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations” – the organizations which are oppressed and harassed for voicing criticism against ruling regime.

“It would be better for Pedro Agramunt to resign from his position as PACE’s rapporteur for Azerbaijan, rather than stay in this position until 2015. Such a step would also allow Council of Europe monitors to again play a meaningful role in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has never needed a credible monitoring procedure more than now,” they conclude.