Chairman of the Press Council of Azerbaijan, MP Aflatun Amashov has criticized the activity of the country’s human rights commission (Ombudsperson).
Addressing today’s meeting of the parliamentary Human Rights Committee, Amashov said that there had been an initiative to create an ‘information ombudsman’, but it was not implemented for various reasons.
"One of the main reasons for this was the existence of a single ombudsman system. Why is there no serious engagement in issues on access to information? I would like to learn how many appeals have been received by the ombudsperson regarding the freedom of access to information. If this has been analyzed, it is important to disclose the concerns. For example, 9 appeals on freedom of conscience have been received. Attention should be paid to these issues in the following period," he said.
In response to Amashov’s remarks, Aydin Safikhanli, head of the Ombudsperson’s Office said that dozens of information requests received by the human rights commissioner last year.
He noted that most of the appeals were related to the failure of state bodies to provide the necessary information.
“The ombudsperson’s job index on this issue is very high. In more than 90 percent of cases, citizen’s right to receive information is ensured after our intervention. We cooperate with international organizations in order to improve our work in this area,” Safikhanli added.
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