The Ombudsman took part in the 14th International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions in Denmark

The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Sabina Aliyeva, is on an official visit to Copenhagen, Denmark. 

During this visit, the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan took part in the 14th International Conference on the topic “Torture and other ill-treatment: Role of the  National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs),” co-hosted by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), the United Nations Human Rights Office, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

The main purpose of the conference is to foster and strengthen collaboration among NHRIs and to discuss topical issues.

 The Ombudsman, during her speech at the event attended by representatives of international organizations and ombudspersons of several countries, provided information about the monitoring visits carried out under the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) mandate.  

Speaking about reforms carried out for the effective protection of human rights and freedoms in Azerbaijan, including the amendments made to the Constitutional Law on the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan, Sabina Aliyeva said that she carries out the functions of an independent monitoring mechanism for the promotion, protection, and ensuring of human rights and freedoms, as well as taking measures to prevent violations under the NPM mandate.

Highlighting that the norms and principles of international law were severely violated by Armenia during the First Karabakh War, the Ombudsman brought to the attention of conference participants that mass graves belonging to Azerbaijanis were discovered during demining and restoration work in these areas after the liberation, adding that these persons had been subjected to brutal torture.

S. Aliyeva noted that special reports have been prepared concerning acts of vandalism, inhuman treatment, and torture of Azerbaijanis, including women, children, and the elderly, as well as the discovery of mass graves.

At the conference, the experiences of ombudspersons of other countries in preventing torture and other ill-treatment were listened to, and exchanges of ideas were conducted toward addressing the emerging problems.