The head of a committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has condemned Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijani land.
Christos Pourgourides, chairman of the PACE Committee for Legal Affairs and Human Rights, described himself as a critic of Armenia's policy of occupation.
During a meeting with Hidayat Orujov, chairman of Azerbaijan's committee to supervise religion, Pourgourides said he consistently called for the withdrawal of Armenian troops from Azerbaijani land.
Religious freedom
The Cypriot MP said that the European public appreciated the atmosphere of ethnic and religious tolerance in Azerbaijan.
“Freedom of conscience and tolerance in Azerbaijan are protected not only by the constitution, but also by national and religious values,” he stated.
Freedom of religion, respect for faith and state care in this field have a prominent position in Azerbaijan's social concept, Hidayat Orujov claimed.
The State Committee for Work with Religious Associations, which marked its 10th anniversary a few months ago, was created to regulate relations between religion and the state in a fair and democratic manner in the multi-ethnic and multi-faith state that is Azerbaijan and to support inter-religious dialogue and the development of civil society, Orujov said.
"It aimed to coordinate the efforts of religious associations and local and central authorities in the process of building civil society,” he told the visitors.
Prisoners' rights
Christos Pourgourides and PACE committee member Elsa Papadimitriou also met members of the Public Committee of the Justice Ministry's Penitentiary Service.
The coordinator of the public committee, Alimammad Nuriyev, outlined the committee's work and the projects done.
Committee members Sahib Mammadov, Zaliha Tahirova, Nazir Guliyev and Elmari Mamishov also spoke about reforms in the penitentiary system, problems and challenges.
They said that the committee has a mandate only to visit penitentiary facilities which prevents them from protecting prisoners' rights in other places of detention.
They also made clear that the committee was self-financing.
The meeting discussed political prisoners in Azerbaijan too.
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