Region 15:14 23/03/2013

The Economist: Since joining the CoE Azerbaijan has used ‘‘caviar diplomacy’’

Though in theory only democratic countries can join the Council of Europe (CoE), which promotes human rights, Azerbaijan has been a member since 2001, the British “The Economist” writes.

“Council of Europe members hoped that membership would accelerate Azerbaijan’s democratic transition. That has not happened. Indeed, political manipulation of elections may have increased over the past decade. In a blistering report published last year, the European Stability Initiative, a think-tank, called Azerbaijan’s 2010 parliamentary elections the most flawed ever in the CoE’s member states.

According to Freedom House Azerbaijan is not really a democratic country, the article says. “Since the early 1990s, it says, elections have been deeply flawed. Parliament is rubber-stamping the government’s decisions. Corruption is widespread,” The Economist says.

Azerbaijan’s international significance lies in its energy resources and strategic location. Over the past decade, western diplomats have been quick to pull their punches over thorny human rights issues.

“Yet this is not merely a story of western indifference. Since joining the council, the ESI argues, Azerbaijan has used “caviar diplomacy”, including gifts, free trips and money, to create a group of apologists within PACE who consistently act in its interests and render the assembly impotent,” the article says.

Following the deeply flawed 2005 parliamentary elections, some council members argued that PACE should suspend the Azerbaijani delegation’s voting rights. Five years later, it couldn’t even manage that: despite widespread violations in the 2010 parliamentary elections, PACE election monitors found far more positives in that year’s parliamentary elections than observers from the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

“Is PACE’s adoption of a recent monitoring report on implementation of Azerbaijan’s commitments to the council, written by Pedro Agramunt and Joseph Debono Grech, a step in the right direction?” the The Economist wonders and notes that according to ESI Mr. Agramunt a long-standing “defender of the Aliyev regime.”

By far the most divisive issue is political prisoners, the article says. In December 2009, PACE asked Christoph Straesser, a German member, to define the term officially. “Despite being refused a visa to visit Azerbaijan three times, Mr Straesser wrote a monitoring report on the situation of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, which PACE debated on January 23rd. Arguments were polarized. Some delegates called Azerbaijan’s refusal to let Mr. Straesser visit unacceptable; others claimed his report therefore lacked credibility,” the article says.

Yet three days after PACE rejected Mr. Straesser’s report, the courts in Baku sentenced five more demonstrators to prison, the article says.

“While a record number of people voted against Mr. Straesser’s report, many others voted for it. A growing number of people are worried by Azerbaijan’s antics. According to Amnesty International, the government is cracking down on dissent in the run up to presidential elections in October this year. In February, it locked up Illgar Mammadov, a presidential candidate, for “organising” apparently spontaneous riots in the town of Ismayili in January. Last week, the authorities jailed an independent journalist for nine years,” the publication says.

It says that Azerbaijan is due to assume the chairmanship of the council’s Committee of Ministers in May 2014. “The Council of Europe’s credibility is on the line,” The Economist says.



Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

17:12
Levon Ter-Petrosyan meets with Russian envoy
First Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan hosted Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopirkin at his villa on Tuesday. Arman Musinyan,...
17:03
ARKA News Agency launches updated banking portal Armbanks.am
ARKA News Agency announces the launch of the updated banking portal Armbanks.am, which has become more up-to-date and functional. “We...
16:35
Investigative Committee reports increase in military-related probes
In 2024, the General Military Investigative Department of Armenia's Investigative Committee received 3,814 reports on alleged...
16:13
HCA Vanadzor warns against Emil Torosyan's extradition to Russia
Armenia is preparing to extradite Emil Torosyan, an ethnic Armenian citizen of Russia, the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly-Vanadzor said in...
15:36
Former deputy chief of Armenian army released on bail
Lieutenant-General Tiran Khachatryan, the former deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, has been released on bail....
15:02
Argentina president accused of fraud over crypto crash
Argentine President Javier Milei is facing impeachment calls - and legal action accusing him of fraud - over his promotion of cryptocurrency on...
14:46
John van't Schip arrives in Yerevan as Armenia manager
John van't Schip, the newly appointed head coach of Armenia’s national football team, has arrived in Yerevan, the Football Federation...
14:13
MP raises questions over tragic fuel depot blast in Artsakh
Opposition lawmaker Tigran Abrahamyan has raised questions regarding the deadly fuel depot explosion in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in September...
13:36
Armenia's FIFA referee team expands
The team of FIFA referees representing Armenia has been expanded. For the first time, the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) will be...
13:06
Heavy snow expected in Yerevan and other parts of Armenia
Snow is expected across Armenia starting Wednesday. Heavy snowfall is forecast for some parts of the country, including Yerevan, on Thursday...
12:36
41 cybercriminals arrested in Yerevan
Police officers from Kazakhstan and Armenia have detained a group of cybercriminals, Sputnik Kazakhstan reported, citing the country’s...
12:06
Catholicos Aram I congratulates Syria's new president
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia officially congratulated President Ahmed al-Sharaa on his election as...
11:33
Delta plane crashes in Toronto
A Delta flight crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday and the plane was seen upside-down on the snow-covered...
11:15
Drivers warned about icy roads in Syunik
The Rescue Service has warned drivers about road closures and icy conditions in Armenia. In particular, the roads connecting the Amberd high...
11:00
Armenia added to map in Colosseum exhibition
Social media reports stated that an exhibition on the second floor of the Colosseum in Rome featured a map that omitted Armenia from the...
17:00
John van’t Schip named new Armenia manager
61-year-old Dutch manager John van ’t Schip is the new head coach of Armenia's national football team. Former Netherlands player...
16:33
Kocharyan criticizes Armenia's foreign policy shift amid global uncertainty
Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan claims that the material losses from the war in Nagorno-Karabakh alone amounted to $80-100 billion,...
15:45
Armenian rescuers free 14 stranded cars in two days
The Crisis Management Centers of Vayots Dzor, Aragatsotn, Kotayk, Gegharkunik, Lori and Syunik Provinces received reports of vehicles...
15:14
Armenian priest injured in church explosion on the mend
Father Gevorg Ter-Barseghyan, who was injured in an explosion at the Holy Mother of God Church in Martuni, Armenia, has been moved from the...
14:30
Temperatures to plummet across Armenia
Dry weather is expected across Armenia on Monday and Tuesday. Snow is forecast later in the week. The capital Yerevan will also see...
14:06
Kocharyan says Pashinyan's 'reckless adventurism' led to Artsakh's surrender
Second Armenian President Robert Kocharyan addressed the surrender of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to Azerbaijan at a press...
13:35
Marco Rubio visits Church of the Holy Sepulchre
On Sunday morning, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio paid his first official visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Armenian...
13:06
Kocharyan: I remained silent, yet they kept talking about me, even about my shadow
Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan explained why he had not held press conferences for so long. "The media often...
12:36
Opposition MP: Armenia drifting toward Turkey, not EU
Opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan has dismissed the Armenian government’s claims of pursuing EU membership, calling them mere political...
11:45
All major highways open in Armenia
All interstate and republican highways across Armenia are currently open to traffic, the Road Department Fund reports. The roads...
11:38
Armenian church honors Sts. Atomians
The Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates Sts. Atomians on February 17, Qahana.am reports. Sts. Atomians were Armenian captains Atom Gnuni...
11:27
PARG will represent Armenia at Eurovision 2025
Armenia has found its entry to the 69th Eurovision Song Contest via national 'Depi Evratesil'. PARG will sing 'Survivor' at...
17:13
Church explosion in Armenian town leaves priest injured
An emergency occurred in Armenia's Gegharkunik Province on Saturday. The Crisis Management Center of the Rescue Service was alerted to...
16:35
Homeland Party holds regular congress
The Homeland Party held its regular congress on Saturday, during which the reports of the party chairman and the audit commission were...
16:22
Nikol Pashinyan and Olaf Scholz meet in Munich
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday met with German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz within the framework of the...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}