Ombudsman received the CoE Commissioner for Human Rights

The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Sabina Aliyeva, received the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Dunja Mijatovic. 

During the meeting, while responding to the questions of the guest, the Ombudsman spoke about reforms carried out to effectively protect human rights in the country, including amendments to the Constitutional Law on the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan. The Ombudsman provided information about the activities in the field of human rights carried out during the war and post-war periods.

The Ombudsman spoke about Armenia’s occupation and terror policy against Azerbaijan, pointing out that about 4000 Azerbaijanis have disappeared in the period of the First Karabakh War, about whom no information has been provided by Armenia so far. S. Aliyeva asked the CoE Commissioner for Human Rights to assist the family members of missing citizens within her scope of competence, bringing their requests and demands to her attention. 

It was talked about the mine terror committed by Armenia in our de-occupied territories, saying that despite the repeated appeals, maps of accurate minefields were not shared with our country, that the buried landmines claim the lives of human beings, and that they create obstacles to the return of our former internally displaced persons to their native lands. The Ombudsman brought to the attention of the guest that, since the Patriotic War until today, over 330 people have become victims of mines.  

It was also noted by the Ombudsman that during 30 years of occupation, in our lands, Armenia destroyed historical and cultural monuments and gravesites of Azerbaijanis. S. Aliyeva added that within the framework of the NPM mandate, monitoring visits were conducted to places where persons cannot leave on their own will, and detainees were interviewed without any discrimination.

The Ombudsman noted that ensuring and protecting the rights and freedoms of Armenian residents of Karabakh is at the center of her attention, and information on how to approach the Ombudsman has been disseminated, stressing that the applications of citizens of Armenian origin have been investigated and appropriate measures have also been taken before the Second Karabakh War. 

At the meeting, the sides also exchanged views on future cooperation between the institutions.