Ombudsman Sabina Aliyeva participated in ICIC 2025 in Germany

Sabina Aliyeva, the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan, participated in the XVI Interntional Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC 2025) held in Berlin, Federativ Republic of Germany. 

During her speech at the interactive panel session “Exchange of Information Commissioners about challenges and best practices” of the International Conference “Access to Environmental Information in the Digital Era,” the Ombudsman broadly spoke about her activities carried out in the field of the protection and promotion of the right to information. 

The Ombudsman informed the participants about her mandate to supervise the implementation of duties set forth in the Law of Azerbaijan on Access to Information by state bodies, municipalities, public legal entities, and their officials under the Constitutional Law on the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan, noting that the Azerbaijan Ombudsman gained good practices in the protection of this right.  

In order to further improve the activities in the relevant field, the Ombudsman said that a relevant structural unit was established, the applications about the violation of the right to information were promptly investigated, and constant public legal awareness events were held in the capital city and regions.   

The Ombudsman said that, along with the work to promote the right to information, the appeals are received also through ordinary mail, e-mail, and social networks of the Ombudsman, including the “916” Call Center, operating 24/7.   

Speaking about Armenia’s 30-year military aggression of our lands, the Ombudsman, Sabina Aliyeva, emphasized that throughout these years, crimes had been committed in serious violation of norms of international law, including IHL norms, and fact-finding missions were conducted to convey relevant information to national and international audiences.  

S.Aliyeva also said that international organizations were repeatedly urged regarding the crimes perpetrated by Armenia in our territories, such as ecocide, urbicide, culturcide, and mine terror, as well as the failure to provide any information on the whereabouts of about 4,000 of our compatriots missing during the First Karabakh War, stressing that unfortunately, due to the existing double standards, no serious actions have been taken against Armenia so far.  

In the course of the visit,  S.Aliyeva also had meetings with ombudspersons of other countries, heads of NHRIs, and Information Commissioners, attended the Conference to discuss the prospects of mutual cooperation and exchange of experiences. 

In the framework of the visit, the Ombudsman took part in the event "Unity in Diversity: Interfaith Voices in Dialogue," hosted by the Cultural Center of Azerbaijan in Berlin and co-organized by the Azerbaijan State Committee on Affairs with Religious Associations and the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Germany, and met with religious communities that took part in that event and compatriots.