Terry Davis: “More freedom of speech should be given in Azerbaijan that we can say the elections will be democratic and free”

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“Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is free to issue resolutions and I will not make a comment on that”, said Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe at the press conference on June 25 in Strasbourg, APA European bureau reports. Answering the journalist’s question about the pre-election situation in Azerbaijan and fulfillment of PACE resolution, Davis said he expected more things from the Government of Azerbaijan.

“I am hopeful that the Government of Azerbaijan will pay deserved attention to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe before it will take appropriate measures. The Council of Europe is not consisting of PACE only. CE Committee of Ministers expressed its concern about the situation in Azerbaijan.

I also expressed my serious concerns, as a Secretary General, over the situation in Azerbaijan, as well as the arrest of journalists. I think it is necessary to closely watch the conditions of journalists. Freedom of Media is the basis of democracy. More freedom of speech and media should be in Azerbaijan that we can say the elections will be democratic and free”.