Today in the International Press Center human rights activists who participated in the PACE winter session held a press conference.
Opening the press conference, Saida Gojamanli said that the human rights situation and appointment of a special rapportuer for political prisoners in Azerbaijan was discussed in Strasburg. Gojamanli also said that the presidential pardon decree signed at the end 2007 has not resolved the political prisoner problem in Azerbaijan. "Unfortunately there are still political prisoners, including four journalists," said Gojamanli.
Later in the conference the human rights advocates announced that PACE co-rapportuers on Azerbaijan Andres Herkel and Jevgenia Jivkova will visit Azerbaijan on 4 February. During their visit, they will meet with local human rights organizations, state officials and the president. They also plan to meet with several prisoners.
Human rights advocate Novella Jafaroglu told the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety that the co-rapportuers will meet with four imprisoned journalists – Eynulla Fatullayev, Ganimat Zahid, Sakit Zahidov and Mushfig Huseynov.