CE Secretary General welcomes Working Group on Human Rights resumption in Azerbaijan

Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23 By Sabina Ahmadova – Trend: CE Secretary-General Thorbjorn Jagland described the first meeting of the Working Group on Human Rights as an important action to improve the human rights situation, the CE website reported Oct. 23. Jagland also welcomed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s pardon decree. Earlier, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on pardon of 84 people. Three former members of the NIDA movement - Shahin Novruzlu, Elsever Mursalli and Bakhtiyar Guliyev, head of the NGO Hasan Guseynli are also among those pardoned. Jagland expressed the hope that the Working Group on Human Rights will lead to significant results and the release of other human rights defenders. The purpose of the Working Group is to revive a dialogue between the Azerbaijani government and the civil society, a statement says. The joint working group consisting of representatives of civil society and authorities of Azerbaijan has recently resumed its activities in the country. Head of the Department on Work with Law-Enforcement Bodies of Azerbaijan’s Presidential Administration, Fuad Alasgarov and MP Samad Seyidov have been elected the co-chairs of the joint group. Saadat Benenyarli and Sahib Mammadov have been elected members of the secretariat. The name of the group has been changed to the Joint Group on Human Rights. The group resumed its activity at the initiative of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland. edited by CN Follow us on Twitter @TRENDNewsAgency