Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC) and Cezar Florin Preda (Romania, EPP/CD), co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Azerbaijan, will make a fact-finding visit to the country from 14 to 16 September 2017.
In Baku, the co-rapporteurs are due to meet with the President of the Republic (subject to confirmation), the Head of his Administration and the Minister of Justice. In Parliament, meetings will be held with the Speaker of Parliament and the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE.
Mr Schennach and Mr Preda are also due to meet representatives of civil society, journalists, and lawyers of persons in detention. In addition, the co-rapporteurs requested individual talks with persons held in detention.
A debate on “The functioning of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan” will be held in Strasbourg on Wednesday 11 October 2017, during the PACE plenary session, on the basis of the report adopted on 7 September by the PACE Monitoring Committee.