Azerbaijan reacts to CPT statement 

ArmInfo.Azerbaijan refutes criticism of Council of Europe's Committee for Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in its public statement, the statement of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, Trend reports.

''We deeply regret that the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has decided to issue a public statement concerning Azerbaijan on 3 July 2024. CPT has also taken an unprecedented decision to publish the whole report prepared following its ad hoc visit of 2022, without the proper consent of Azerbaijan as it is required by the European Convention against Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Such an approach is unfair, unjustified, and legally questionable.

Since 2002 the CPT has conducted multiple periodic and ad hoc visits and published reports on the implementation of the Convention by Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has provided the government's response on every point mentioned in the reports. Moreover, as also noted in the public statement, appropriate steps have been taken to remedy relevant imperfections, and the Committee's recommendations have always been taken into account.

Throughout the years of cooperation, the Committee has been provided with the necessary support on its visits to date. Not only have its investigations on the spot been facilitated, but steps have been taken to ensure that the delegation members are received at the highest possible level and every effort has been made to strengthen the foundations of co-operation.

It is especially unfortunate that this decision has been taken in the present situation of relations between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe created following the biased decision by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) not to ratify the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE in January 2024.

We reject the criticisms in the public statement, which are leveled at some state institutions, holding them responsible rather than engaging in constructive cooperation.

Azerbaijan is making great progress not only in the protection of persons deprived of their liberty but also in bringing relevant practices up to commonly accepted standards,'' the statement reads.

The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has issued a public statement on Azerbaijan. This Statement, which is made in application of Article 10 (2) of the Convention establishing the Committee, addresses the persistent lack of cooperation by the Azerbaijani authorities with the CPT.

The reason behind this exceptional decision to make a public statement is the outright refusal of the Azerbaijani authorities to cooperate with the CPT. The Committee made genuine attempts to engage in a constructive dialogue with the Azerbaijani authorities to address matters that lie at the heart of the CPT's raison d'etre. The CPT has detailed in its visit reports that it continues to receive allegations of severe acts of ill-treatment and even of torture by police officers. Yet, no action has been taken by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan to implement the Committee's long-standing recommendations to end such practices. Further, the Committee received no responses to the letters from its President to promote dialogue through holding high-level talks in Baku or even following the notification of a visit to the Azerbaijani authorities. This represents a fundamental and unprecedented breach of the Convention.

Given the seriousness of the issues at stake, relating to ill-treatment and even torture by law enforcement officials of detained persons, the CPT has also decided to publish the report on the 2022 ad hoc visit to Azerbaijan as an annex to the public statement.

As is made clear in the public statement, the Committee hopes that the lack of cooperation does not lead to a permanent rupture in relations with the Azerbaijani authorities. The CPT stands ready to support the authorities to take decisive steps to uphold the fundamental values to which Azerbaijan, as a member state of the Council of Europe, has subscribed. In furtherance of its mandate, the Committee is fully committed to pursuing a dialogue with the Azerbaijani authorities to this end.