Azerbaijan, Baku, 16 January /corr. Trend I. Alizade/ Azay Guliyev, MP and member of the Pardon Commission at the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration accused Leila Yunus, the head of the Peace and Democracy Institute of studying for her own interests in drawing up a list of persons considered to be political prisoners. "Leila Yunus has established a negative practice in Azerbaijan's human right's protection system. The activities of human rights activists such as Leila Yunus who put their personal interests above everything casts a shadow on the protection of human rights in Azerbaijan," Guliyev to journalists.
Yunus has been drawing up lists of political prisoners and sending them to international organizations for several years. The last list includes 70 names. She has also addressed the Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to appoint a new reporter on political prisoners to Azerbaijan.
When drawing up the list of persons whom she considers to be political prisoners she adds names of those who have been tried for committing terrorist acts, Guliyev said. "A person who presents those who are accused of committing terrorist acts as political prisoners does not deal with the protection of human rights. It has nothing to do with the protection of human rights," he said.
The problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan is a closed issue. Therefore there is no need for PACE to appoint a new reporter on political prisoners in Azerbaijan, MP said.