On June 24 the PACE discussed the report on the Activities of the Democratic Institutes of Azerbaijan, during which a debate broke up between the delegates of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
For example, in her speech a member of the Armenian delegation, MP from the Heritage faction of the NA Zaruhi Postanjyan mentioned that the Council of Europe often mars the truthful information and disguises the reality, as a result of which Azerbaijan often claims that the failure of democratic development of Azerbaijan is often stipulated by the legacy of the soviet government. “This partisan approach first of all contradicts the essence of the documents adopted by the PACE in 2006, which specifically promulgate and define the following – 1. Frozen conflicts may hinder only the economic development of a country and not the democratization, 2. The governments should not use the existence of conflicts in the international structures to justify the failure of development of democratic institutes in their countries, 3. The abuse of conflicts should not deflect the attention of the international community from the internal democracy issues in a country.” However, as Postanjyan mentioned the authorities of Azerbaijan by bargaining the issue of Karabakh (Artsakh), constantly violate the human rights. “Despite the non-recognition by the international community of its nearly 20-year record of independence, pluralistic and democratic presidential, parliamentary and local elections have been held in Artsakh on a regular basis. The country’s constitution was adopted by a referendum held in 2006 and the Mountainous Karabakh Republic has consistently pursued a policy based on the preservation of regional peace, and on respect for, and protection of, human rights. The entire national and social legal system of Artsakh conforms with the European Convention on Human Rights. I call on the Assembly to demonstrate a similar attitude towards the Mountainous Karabakh Republic as it demonstrates towards Kosovo," Postanjyan said in her speech. “The evidence of my words is the shutdown of Radio Liberty in Azerbaijan, the persecution of talish, lezgis and other national minorities, numerous political prisoners, among them Eynula Fatulayev, who denies the official version of Khojalu events. There are many sound facts as well. And Azerbaijan more often makes militaristic statements in order to conceal the dictatorship that dominates in the county. This directly violates the obligations of Azerbaijan. Moreover, the recently adopted military doctrine of Azerbaijani’s Mejlis deteriorates even more the fragile peace of South Caucasus. In the beginning of the 20th century Stalin and the amoral Kemal-Bolshevik deal gave to Azerbaijan Nakhichevan and Karabakh, which have never been within Azerbaijan before 1918-1920. Karabakh gained its independence by withstanding the Azerbaijani aggression launched in front of the eyes of the Europeans. Some of the territories of Karabakh are still in the composition of Azerbaijan. Afterwards Azerbaijan fully deported and banished the Armenians living in Nakhichevan and Jugha. The Armenian khachkars and historic monuments were destroyed in Nor Jugha. And the PACE has so far never deplored these deeds. The connection of strengthening of democratic institutes within a state with territorial issues is not right. Despite the fact that Turkey has committed the genocide and occupied most of the historic territories of Armenia the level of development of democracy of Armenia currently don’t have any linkage with the deeds of the past,” stated Postanjyan.