‘Cooperation and dialogue between PACE and Azerbaijan will lead to mutual understanding’, Samad Seyidov

Strasbourg, January 22, AZERTAC ‘Cooperation and dialogue between PACE and Azerbaijan will lead to mutual understanding’, Chairman of the Milli Majlis Standing Committee for International Relations and Interparliamentary Ties, head of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE Samad Seyidov stated as he addressed the Organization’s winter session. ‘Some colleagues from PACE try to worsen image of Azerbaijan. I would like to express regret and disappointment in connection with the coordinate efforts to use the case of Mehman Huseynov for this purpose. I would like to inform colleagues and members of PACE that on January 20 Mehman Huseynov addressed the President of Azerbaijan. He asked the President to provide objectivity in investigation of his case and the fair decision. Earlier, on January 18, a group of human rights activists who visited Mehman Huseynov in place of detention, also addressed the President with the same intention. And these addresses were immediately handed to the head of state’. ‘The President of Azerbaijan immediately reacted to these addresses. Today, on January 21, considering young age of Mehman Huseynov who was sentenced to two years of imprisonment, his marital status, age of his father, President Ilham Aliyev recommended to take within the Azerbaijani legislation necessary measures to provide objectivity and fair consideration of the case of Mehman Huseynov. I do not doubt that this accurate public position which was taken by the President of Azerbaijan in regard with Mehman Huseynov will lead to the fast solution of this question’, Seyidov added. Seyidov expressed gratitude to colleagues from PACE and also to officials of the Council of Europe who tried to establish cooperation and contacts with Azerbaijan to find out the facts on this situation, but not to express the emotions. ‘I hope that cooperation and dialogue between the Council of Europe and PACE and Azerbaijan, especially on such very difficult questions will lead us to mutual understanding", - he emphasized.