The Council of Europe (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic also spoke on the issue of the use of police force in Azerbaijan. “The global health problems caused by Covid-19 have required effective measures to protect people’s health and lives. In many Council of Europe member states, laws limiting public gatherings, as well as freedom of movement, have been adopted. Regrettably some governments, including Azerbaijan, have been using this imperative as an excuse to clamp down on freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. This is a counterproductive approach,” she said. “In a recent letter to the Minister of Internal Affairs, I raised concerns in relation to the dispersal of demonstrators and limitations imposed on freedom of assembly in that context, in particular the excessive use of force against demonstrators by law enforcement officials,” she added.
The Chairman of Azerbaijan’s parliamentary Committee on Defense, Security, and Anti-Corruption Ziyafat Asgarov hinted at a possibility that the country might consider withdrawing from the CoE, following a series of negative statements in regard to Azerbaijan. “The CoE position against Azerbaijan has always been based on double standards. Frankly, Azerbaijan also suffers from double standards because many representing the organization see it as a Christian club. As Azerbaijan is a Muslim-majority country, we face such an attitude. The Armenians recently held illegal elections in Nagorno-Karabakh and elected a president. Many bodies rejected this election show. However, the CoE, as always, remained silent about this issue. Both Azerbaijan and Armenia are members of this organization and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. How can this body not react to the occupation of its member's territory by another [council] participant…? Where is the justice of Europe?” he said.
“We can mull [over] the withdrawal. This issue, of course, requires in-depth discussions. The final agreement depends on the decision of the parliament,” he stressed.
On 8 June, the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry reported the detention of 11 citizens for assaulting police officers during the lockdown. The move sparked negative reactions from several NGOs in the country, stating that the law enforcement agencies used disproportionate force against the citizens (Caucasus Watch reported). In the past few months, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated numerous times that the CoE was “imposing double standards” on Azerbaijan.
