Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 26
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) are insufficient to prevent the use of the death penalty, Azerbaijani MP Ganira Pashayeva said at the PACE winter session in Strasbourg on Jan. 26.
“Torture and death penalty are strictly prohibited in the area of the Council of Europe. Cruelty, degrading treatment and punishment are also prohibited. Moreover, the ban on torture has already become an obligatory rule of international law. The sixth article of the convention, which was ratified by all members of the Council of Europe, abolishes the death penalty. Therefore, the Council of Europe really needs to strengthen its positions in this field,” said the MP.
It is clear that the trade in goods used for torture and the death penalty is unacceptable, Pashayeva noted.
“Unfortunately, contrary to the principles and obligations of our organization, such goods are still produced, delivered to the market and are in circulation in the member states. It is necessary to more strictly regulate the trade in such supplies,” she said.
“If we do not prohibit such trade, we will not cope with preventing the use of torture and the death penalty in the world. The PACE recommendations in this area are not enough. I support the establishment of a global alliance. This is an important step towards stopping such illegal practices,” added the Azerbaijani MP.
The Azerbaijani delegation headed by chairman of the parliamentary committee on international and interparliamentary relations, Samad Seyidov, has been participating in the PACE winter session in Strasbourg since Jan. 21.
The delegation includes chairman of the parliamentary committee on culture Rafael Huseynov, MPs – Sahiba Gafarova, Sevinj Fataliyeva, Ganira Pashayeva, Ulviya Agayeva, Sabir Hajiyev, Elshad Hasanov, Vusal Huseynov, Fazil Mustafa, Asim Mollazade and Rovshan Rzayev.