Amendment No. 10 | Doc. 14397 | 10 October 2017
Azerbaijan’s Chairmanship of the Council of Europe: what follow-up on respect for human rights?
In the draft resolution, replace paragraph 11 with the following paragraph:
"The Assembly stresses the fact that the exercise of fundamental freedoms of expression, assembly and association, guaranteed in Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, is essential for the proper functioning of a democratic society. The Assembly is extremely concerned by numerous allegations relating both to a restrictive climate for extra-parliamentary activities of the opposition and the limitations on the freedoms of expression, assembly, and association, in particular with regard to independent media and advocates of freedom of expression. These systematic restrictions and limitations do not meet criteria of legality, proportionality and necessity in a democratic society. It is very concerned about the reported problems concerning the use of criminal legislation to limit freedom of expression, as underlined by the Committee of Ministers in the context of its supervision of the application of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. The legislative framework for NGO activities does not comply with European standards, as stated by the bodies of the Council of Europe. Accordingly, the Assembly calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to:"
Explanatory note
The resolution should refer to fundamental freedoms that are under pressure in violation of the Convention, including freedom of assembly. Systematic restrictions and limitations do not meet criteria of legality, proportionality and necessity in a democratic society. The NGO legislation has been "judged not complying" by the CoE bodies.