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PACE President Anne Brasseur said at a briefing for Azerbaijani journalists, organized in the summer session of PACE, that the Bureau decided to submit the issue of political prisoners in Azerbaijan to the Monitoring Committee and the inclusion of this issue in the report of the co-rapporteurs on Azerbaijan. No member of the audience expressed disagreement with the proposal of Mr. McNamara.
As APA noted that yesterday, on June 26 member of Azerbaijani delegation, MP Elkhan Suleymanov told that holding discussions on political prisoner issue in Azerbaijan again, is obvious sample of pressure, partiality and “double standards” against Azerbaijan. He stated that Michael McNamara as a member of this group, who showers slanders against Azerbaijan, takes a tendentious position and casts stain on the country in the period of Azerbaijan’s presidency and puts forward such a resolution. Suleymanov also stated that President of PACE “Anne Brasseur has also joined to this campaign.” He stated that according to the regulation of the Assembly, lunch time is announced at 01:00 pm. Thus representatives of Azerbaijan and Turkey left for lunch with a delegation.

“Lying in ambush and taking the opportunity, Gross and McNamara with a small group immediately addressed to the president and raised issue to cancel the Bureau’s decision on the draft resolution. Waiting for such a proposal, Anne Brasseur put the case on the voting with a great pleasure and the Bureau’s decision was cancelled, outvoting with just 5 votes. The case was sent to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of PACE,” Suleymanov told calling it a “political terror against Azerbaijan.”

Azerbaijani delegate even stated that Baku should think seriously about further cooperation with the CoE.

Head of Assembly also touched upon the relations with the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE saying that Samad Seyidov sent her a letter in connection with the decision on political prisoners in Azerbaijan, adopted at the plenary session on Monday, where he presented his views regarding his absence at the meeting.

“That morning the Bureau decided to submit the issue of political prisoners in Azerbaijan to the Monitoring Committee and the inclusion of this issue in the report of the co-rapporteurs on Azerbaijan. During the day, Mr. McNamara protested Bureau decision and insisted on this issue in the direction of the Human Rights Committee. According to our procedural rules, if someone makes a similar proposal, any other member of the right to contest it. However, I never saw him in the audience wishing to appeal the sentence. I even asked if wishing to appeal the sentence. No member of the audience expressed disagreement with the proposal of Mr. McNamara. Then I asked the opinion of the reporter,” Anne Brasseur noted.

She noted that the question was then put to vote and she, as Speaker of the meeting should follow this procedure.

“Because my primary goal as chairman is to ensure compliance with procedural rules. In the Assembly, all issues should be addressed in a prescribed manner. My job as chairman, first and foremost, is to ensure compliance with the regulations and enforcement of the decision. That is, in such matters is my personal position plays no role and, in general, should not play. Chairman does not have any special privileges or any other advantage. His job is only to ensure compliance with the regulations,” Anne Brasseur stated.

Anne Brasseur also noted that in the second part of the meeting S.Seyidov accused her and Secretary General of the Assembly of manipulating the meeting: "I do not accept this accusation, since it is not manipulation, but only, compliance with regulations. One of the arguments of Mr. Seidov is his absence in the courtroom during the vote at a gala dinner. However, on Monday morning meeting was delayed a little longer than usual, but I note that the beginning of a formal dinner was scheduled at 13.00 does not, as alleged, and at 13.15. "

Anne Brasseur stated that the dissatisfaction expressed in relation to this issue is not clear, and the “chairmanship of Azerbaijan to the Committee of Ministers of PACE is an opportunity to accelerate the process of democratic reform in the country.”