Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend K.Ramazanova / The PACE Assembly committee adopts a Declaration on Situation with Human rights in Azerbaijan, PACE Monitoring Committee's Co-rapporteur on Azerbaijan, Andreas Herkel, reported to Trend by telephone from Venice on 14 December.
He did not provide details of the document. "Yesterday's meeting of the PACE Committee for Legal Affairs adopted a declaration regarding the situation with the human rights in Azerbaijan," Herkel said.
The PACE Co-rapporteur is attending the 73rd meeting of the Venice Commission. The event covered the issue of the so-called political prisoners and jailed journalists in Azerbaijan, as well as discussions on the arrest of the correspondent of Freedom radio, Ilgar Nasibov and other journalists.
The correspondent of Freedom Radio, Ilgar Nasibov, was sentenced to three months imprisonment. Despite an agreement being reached on 4 December between the Chief of Nakchivan City Police Department, Sabuhi Novruzov and correspondent of Freedom Radio, Ilgar Nasibov, the lawsuit was cancelled, Nasibov was again called to Court. Chief of Nakchivan City Police Department did not agree with the reconciliation and required further consideration of the case.
Eight journalists in Azerbaijan have been jailed in Azerbaijan, namely Editor-in-Chief, Rovshan Kebirli and journalist Yashar Agazade of Mukhalifet newspaper, journalist of Nota-bene newspaper, Faramaz Allahverdiyev and editor-in-chief of Gundelik Azerbaijan and Realni Azerbaijan, Eynulla Fatullayev. They have been sentenced to 2 ? years in prison charged with slander.
The editor-in-chief of the opposition Azadlyg newspaper, Ganimat Zahid, is accused of hooliganism, Azadlyg newspaper's journalist has been accused of being in possession of drugs, editor-in-chief of the Senet newspaper, Samir Sadagetoglu and newspaper's journalist Tofig Tagi are accused of causing racial hatred, national, social and religious hostility.
Herkel stated that the meeting also focused on the issue of political prisoners and the appointment of a special representative in Azerbaijan regarding this issue.