Posted by 
Azerbaijani MPs will vehemently protest the report of Christopher Strasser on political prisoners in Azerbaijan at the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). This was stated on Wednesday by deputy chairman of the Foreign Relations and Inter-parliamentary Relations of the Milli Majlis, a member of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE Sevinj Fataliyeva.
She noted that the report of Strasser, who has never been to Azerbaijan, is an indication of his personal and biased attitude to Azerbaijan and his position on Azerbaijan in the Council of Europe is unacceptable.
“Most of the members of the Council of Europe well know and understand that such reports are backed by definite forces pursuing their goals. If any MP or politician visits Azerbaijan and gets acquainted with the situation, he will understand that Strasser’s report does not reflect the reality,” Fataliyeva said.
Christopher Strasser’s report will be discussed at the PACE winter session on January 23.
On January 21-25, the winter session of PACE will also discuss the report on Azerbaijan’s fulfillment of its obligations to the Council of Europe.
The report, prepared by co-rapporteurs Pedro Agramunt and Joseph Debono Grech, has both positive and negative sides.
“Azerbaijani MPs will express their position on this issue”, Fataliyeva said.
On the agenda of the PACE winter session are also the election of President and Vice-President, the situation in Kosovo, the work of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the state of press freedom in Europe, gender equality, trafficking of migrant workers.
The session in Strasbourg will hear the report titled “Georgia and Russia: the humanitarian situation in the post-conflict zone.” Participation of President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili is anticipated.
