European Stability Initiative issues "A Portrait of Deception" report on Azerbaijan

15:35, 22 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANAURY 22, ARMENPRESS. European Stability Initiative publicized a report entitled "A Portrait of Deception", which spreads light on the false theses introduced in the Agramunt/Grech report, which will be under discussion during the PACE winter session. In "A Portrait of Deception" report it is stated that there has never been allowed to convoke free manifestations in Azerbaijan, freedom of press was forbidden as well. Among other things the report highlights: "In fact, in 2010 only 38 of 88 candidates from the main opposition parties were even allowed to register and stand in elections. Furthermore, during the elections OSCE/ODIHR assessed the vote count negatively in 32 percent of polling stations." It is also remarkable that the report states that the Azerbaijani authorities voice about their pro-European stance, but it’s not clear where that position has found its expression. "Azerbaijan is an authoritarian state and such state has no place in Europe."

Among other things the report states that it's ridiculous from the Azerbaijani side to say that the neighboring countries are to be blamed for that Azerbaijan is not a democratic country. In accordance with that announcement Russia, Armenia, and Iran hold Azerbaijan in blockade. As per the author of The Agramunt/Grech report the report states: "There are very few fellow members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) who have been to Azerbaijan as regularly over the past decade as Pedro Agramunt, the conservative Spanish senator, a businessman from Valencia. Agramunt has been consistent in this approach to Azerbaijan: from the very beginning of his relationship with Baku he has been a defender of the Aliyev regime. The latest monitoring report is his masterpiece."

On January 23 parliamentarians from the 47 member states of the Council of Europe will gather in Strasbourg to discuss two reports on Azerbaijan in the PACE session.


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