Thorbjørn Jagland Welcomes Release Of Azerbaijan Blogger

Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland hopes the decision by an Azerbaijan court to release a blogger will help to remove concerns about the country’s commitment to free expression.


He said: "I am relieved that Adnan Hajizadeh, one of the bloggers and youth activists arrested in July 2009, was today granted early release by the Baku Appeal Court.

Anti-Corruption Committee Finds "Major Shortcomings" In Azerbaijan’s Legislation

Major shortcomings in Azerbaijan’s legislation on corruption and transparency in party funding have been uncovered by a new Council of Europe report.

The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) Third Round Evaluation Report on Azerbaijan, published on 18 November, found that the country’s legal framework contains several important deficiencies in relation to the requirements established under the Council of Europe’s Criminal Law Convention on Corruption.

Azerbaijan: Peaceful Elections Welcomed But Democratic Concerns Remain

Parliamentary elections which took place yesterday in Azerbaijan were characterised by a peaceful atmosphere and all opposition parties participated in the political process, but the conduct of these elections overall was not sufficient to constitute meaningful progress in the democratic development of the country, international observers said in a statement issued today.

View From The Court: 9 November

Cases involving a women's right to keep her surname after marriage in Switzerland, the death of a parachutist in Bulgaria and a protest at the treatment of a former Economic development Minister by Azerbaijan authorities come befor the European Court of Human Rights next week.