Samad Seyidov: PACE sanctions on former MPs have no significance

Samad Seyidov: PACE sanctions on former MPs have no significance
# 29 June 2018 10:10 (UTC +04:00)

PACE sanctions on former MPs have no significance, Samad Seyidov, head of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE told APA as he was commenting on the decision of the PACE Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs about 14 former Assembly members.

Seyidov noted that he has cooperated with a PACE investigation body and expressed his position.

"Perhaps someone has refused to cooperate, and this led to that decision being made. But those who did not cooperate were not only from Azerbaijan but also from several other countries, yet they are not making any decisions against them. This is not fair. As for Elkhan Suleymanov and Muslum Mammadov, there is the issue of Luca Volonte in Italy, where there are some cases under investigation. The investigative team here failed to put forward any evidence. I don’t think the imposition of such sanctions, especially on the former PACE members, has any significance,” he said.

Seyidov stressed that he has always been against the imposition of sanctions, saying he does not believe this would produce any positive results.

“We’ll discuss this issue in greater detail in Baku,” he added.

Seyidov also commented on reports that a PACE letter has not been delivered to former MP Gultakin Hajibayli, who is facing sanctions as well.

"She is not a member of the AzerbaijaniParliament. What should the parliament send to former MPs, and why? It has nothing to do with Parliament,” he said.

Seyidov said that what is now happening in PACE were interpreted differently in the press.

"The same happened when I was elected vice president in PACE, and yesterday I heard that no such thing had happened and that the coverage was about my election as PACE Vice President in the previous session. Elections to vice presidency are renewed each time a new president is elected. In my case, I was elected in the June session and no one objected to it,” he added.

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THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED