News - PACE debating on limiting Azerbaijan delegation powers

On the first day of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) winter session in Strasbourg, France, the MPs voted to limit the powers of the Azerbaijani delegation "for the country's violation of the principles of the organization." This initiative was made by German lawmaker Frank Schwabe, Turan news agency reported.   In his statement, Schwabe noted the ongoing human rights violations and the growing number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, the refusal of Baku to invite the PACE delegation to evaluate the upcoming snap presidential elections on February 7. He also mentioned Azerbaijan's refusal to allow PACE rapporteurs into the Lachin corridor in 2023. The proposal was put to the vote and adopted by a majority vote. The chairman of the meeting, Emanuelis Zingeris, said that the PACE Monitoring Committee would assess this proposal. It has 24 hours to submit its opinion. After that, PACE will discuss this matter and make a final decision. The Azerbaijani delegation, however, cannot participate in the voting on this matter.