Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland expressed his concern and disappointment at the new charges brought against leader of Azerbaijani opposition group ReAL (Republican Alternative) leader Ilgar Mammadov.

“Despite international demands for his release, the Azeri authorities are bringing new charges against him. This is particularly disappointing and worrying in the light of the Azeri chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe scheduled for May 2014,” Jagland said in a statement.

Secretary General stressed that a group of Council of Europe ambassadors who recently visited Azerbaijan was not allowed to visit Ilgar Mammadov.

Thorbjørn Jagland urgently called on the Azeri authorities to engage in dialogue with the international community.

Ilgar Mammadov was arrested in early February in connection with the riots in Azerbaijani city of Ismayili.