PACE rapporteur on political prisoners Christoph Straesser is planning to visit Azerbaijan in November

PACE rapporteur on political prisoners Christoph Straesser is planning to visit Azerbaijan in November, sources at the Straesser’s office said.

The rapporteur submitted visa application to the Azerbaijani embassy.

“Mr. Straesser would like to visit Azerbaijan beginning November. He applied for a visa at the embassy. The chairperson of the delegation of Azerbaijan to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was also informed by the Secretary General. As you know the last application for a visa was denied. We do not have an answer yet by Azerbaijani authorities regarding the new application”, the source said.

Straesser was appointed as the PACE rapporteur on the issue of political prisoners in Azerbaijan in March, 2009. But he has not visited Azerbaijan yet. Azerbaijan called the appointment of additional rapporteur as a non-constructive approach because the Council of Europe has no exact criteria related to the notion of political prisoner and refused in giving visa to Straesser.

Straesser’s mandate was changed at the PACE’s last session. He was appointed not as the rapporteur on Azerbaijan, but on the issue of political prisoners.


/APA/