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In response to the question of the correspondent of Panorama.am on recent casualties along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the Line of Contact between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, Mr. Daniel Holtgen, Spokesperson for the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, told that the Council of Europe and Secretary General Jagland call on all sides to do everything they can to prevent violence and further victims. " Mr. Jagland expresses his sympathy to the friends and families of all victims of recent clashes and he really appeals on both sides to refrain from further violence," Daniel Holtgen said.

Speaking about the planned meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in Sochi on 10 August, Daniel Holtgen said that Mr. Jagland expresses his hope that this meeting will come forward with a positive outcome and that escalation of violence can be avoided. "We will be looking forward to the meeting tomorrow and will be examining and assessing what the meeting will bring. It’s already good thing that the presidents of two countries are meeting and we hope very much that there will be some positive outcome," Daniel Holtgen told Panorama.am.

On the question about the recent crackdowns on human rights defenders and civil society representatives in Azerbaijan Mr. Holtgen said that the Council of Europe expresses its concern whenever human rights defenders are being restricted and referred to the recent statement of Mr. Jagland on the prosecution of Leyla Yunus and her partner.