Text adapted for the Rafto Foundation by Robert Harrison – original article by the Human Rights House, Oslo, 28 January 2010, by Vadim Vileita, based on www.nhc.no

The purpose of the visit to PACE was to raise the issue of the grave human rights situation in Nakhchivan as well as the media situation in general in Azerbaijan.

"The Council of Europe can play an important role in improving human rights in Azerbaijan. In January 2001 Azerbaijan became a full member of this European human rights body, on the condition that it improved certain areas of its democracy and its human rights record," said Lindeman.

She claimed that Azerbaijan largely failed to fulfill its commitment, and expected the Council of Europe to intensify its efforts to push the Azerbaijani Government into taking real steps to secure the rule of law for Azerbaijani citizens and a free press.

The delegation held meetings with the Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner, Thomas Hammarberg, the PACE reporter on Azerbaijani affairs, Andres Herkel, the Norwegian delegation to the Parliamentary assembly, and a number of others in Strasbourg.

Repressive and authoritarian
Nakhchivan is an Autonomous Republic in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan in the Southern Caucasus.

"Vasif Talibov has been the unchallenged leader of Nakhchivan for the past twelve years. More than a decade of Talibov's rule has left the society with little hope, while widespread poverty and high unemployment have had a dramatic negative impact on living conditions. The authoritarian rule and the destruction of civil society has been reinforced by strict censorship and grave human rights abuses."

While the human rights situation in Azerbaijan is difficult, the inhabitants of the exclave Nakhchivan suffer under a local regime that appears to have been given free reign to harass and intimidate the inhabitants into a situation that appears similar to the Soviet period.

Protesters forced into psychiatric institutions
The report outlines how human rights defenders and journalists have almost disappeared from Nakhchivan and ordinary citizens who protest against intimidation using legal means risk being forced into psychiatric institutions.

A small riot in the village of Bananyar led to mass arrests and many being committed to psychiatric institutions around New Year. Outsiders have been refused access to the village to investigate the events.