Ombudsman received the CoE Commissioner for Human Rights

The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) Elmira Suleymanova received the delegation headed by Dunja Mijatovic, the CoE Commissioner for Human Rights.

In the meeting, complex measures implemented after Azerbaijan became CoE member, historical background of the Ombudsman Office, its effective bilateral cooperation with the CoE and joint projects were discussed.

E.Suleymanova spoke about EU Twinning projects, which lasted for 24 months and covered four different components, including National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), where study tours of 29 staff members were carried out to Greece, Poland, Germany and Portugal.

The Ombudsman spoke comprehensively about her NPM activity determined after ratification of OPCAT by Azerbaijan in 2008. It was told that the National Preventive Group (NPG) carries out regular visits to places, which persons can’t leave on their own will.

Information about the next “Open door” reception recently held by the Ombudsman at the female penitentiary facility, private meetings and legal consultation with female convicts was brought into attention too.

While giving information about 65 pardoning and 11 amnesty acts, E.Suleymanova stated that as a result of her motions submitted to the Commission on Pardoning Issues every month, 692 convicts were released.

The guests were also informed about awareness events on application of European standards in state bodies, penitentiary institutions, psychiatric facilities for the staff members, also about monitoring of implementation of the Law on Access to Information by the Ombudsman and procedure of online application to the Ombudsman.

It was told that the institution has organized practical seminars regarding human rights for media representatives in collaboration with the UN OHCHR. Implementation of the CoE Project on “Gender equality and media freedom in Azerbaijan” in Baku and regions, participation of the representative from Ombudsman Office as trainer-expert were also noted.

It was spoken about cooperation with NGOs, awareness-raising trainings organized for them to teach how to prepare complementary and parallel reports to the UN and its Treaty bodies.

Legal awareness events on Istanbul Protocol, SPT recommendations and CPT standards, national legal acts in Police and Justice Academies and in the Training-Education Center of Public Prosecutor’s Office were touched upon as well.

The Ombudsman informed the guests about training of university students on “Human Rights” and “Introduction to Gender” subjects, also about Hierarchic Education on Child Rights project with the Ministry of Education.

The Ombudsman told about proposals made to the country Parliament for improvement of legislation. It has been proposed in annual reports to ratify the CoE Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. E.Suleymanova also mentioned about Law on Protection of Children against Corporal Punishment, which was jointly prepared with UNICEF experts and sent to the Parliament. As well as, numerous requests were addressed to the Constitutional Court, and Plenum adopted corresponding decisions and rulings.

700 proposals of the Ombudsman were addressed to state bodies with the purpose of effectively ensuring human rights; most of them have been implemented. It was also noted that gender-related activity of the Ombudsman was positively evaluated by GANHRI.

While talking about Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev, held hostage in Armenia, E.Suleymanova said that she applied to presidents of country delegation and Headquarters of ICRC and discussed this matter with Vice-President Christine Beerli in Geneva Headquarters about treatment of them in line with international law norms and help to returning them.

The Ombudsman broadly informed the guests on the activity regarding refugees and IDPs and stated that the strong desire of IDPs, including their

children, about returning to their lands is conditioned by their genetic memory.

The Ombudsman made mention of the appeal addressed to the Head of ICRC Country Delegation on March 2019 regarding rights and returning of Elvin Ibrahimov, who was held hostage by Armenia.

E.Suleymanova asked the CoE Commissioner for mobilization of all international mechanisms by the CoE to support and accelerate relevant concrete measures for the settlement of conflict, continuing for more than 30 years and resulting in massive human rights violations, with just peace.

Questions of the guest were answered in the meeting.

At the end, Ms.Mijatovi? presented several print materials of the CoE on human rights, extended thanks for warm welcome, broad information about the activity of the Office and detailed answers.