Aiten Mustafayeva: "We accede to conventions beneficial for the interests of Azerbaijan"

Author: Interview by Ramin Naziev, Baku, exclusively to VK


The head of the Institute on Human Rights, Azerbaijani MP Aiten Mustafayeva, spoke to Vestnik Kavkaza about the constitutional rights of citizens, freedom of speech and conscience, and the problems of refugees in Azerbaijan.

- The Institute on Human Rights is one of the youngest scientific facilities in the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan. How was it founded?

- The Institute was established 15 years ago in 1998 by order of the all-national leader Heydar Aliyev within the program of development of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan. It was a period when Azerbaijan began its entrance into the European legal family. Joining the Council of Europe required establishing an institute which would deal with public education, the development of a legal base, the reforms of existing legislation, and the unification of legislation in accordance with European and international law. The Institute on Human Rights was founded for these purposes.

- What does the Institute do?

- In the past 15 years the Institute on Human Rights has changed its direction several times. However, national security issues in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are a high priority. Today the population of Azerbaijan is 9 million, at the beginning of the conflict there were 7 million people. More than a million refugees and forced displaced people is a huge amount of people with impaired rights. When citizens with impaired rights live in a state which is part of the European family, the Council of Europe, it is a big problem. That is why one of the most important issues for our institute is the protection of displaced people and refugees’ rights in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and international terrorism.

The Institute considers the political map of the world from the point of view of changing forms of struggle and conducting a war. Previously, the war was open, but now it has shifted to the level of terrorism. One of its segments is Armenian terrorism which has persecuted Turkish and Azerbaijani people since the end of the 19th century.

At the same time, our Institute has many other directions – global political problems; information, energy, and environmental security in the context of energy projects which are implemented in Azerbaijan. It is the problem of genetically modified organisms which are an instrument of bio-terrorism. GM products influence the gene resources of the nation, lead to infertility, immunity reduction, and resistance to antibiotics.

The next direction is social rights – the human right to healthcare, patients’ rights, transplantology issues – we present these problems in the parliament as experts and take part in developing laws.

- How many Azerbaijani citizens know their constitutional and legal rights?

- A lot of work had been done in 15 years. Not only the Institute, but people themselves have acquired knowledge. The Institute spread information through the educational system; new institutes appeared in the state management system. I mean reforms of the trial and penitentiary systems. Establishing the ombudsman institute was our first big project. The bill was sent to the parliament and adopted after consideration. 10 years ago we couldn't even talk about family violence, today we have adopted a law on this issue. A civil society is developing; people have become open to discussion of problems. The educational level of young people is growing. However, we will have to do plenty of work in the future. Today we cannot say we have a law-based society.

- Is Constitutional Law a subject in the school program?

- Schools do not cover this subject. However, the ombudsman administration has such plans. They organize special events in schools. Only universities have departments where I am a tutor, but it is not a permanent practice.

- What can you say about the national plan of action on improvement of effective protection of human rights and freedoms?

- This document is very important. It is not the first time the document has been adopted. The Institute on Human Rights is one of the structures which are responsible for its implementation. In last nine articles the Institute is presented as responsible for implementation – monitoring of realization of court verdicts, the educational sphere, public education, and compensation of the economic damage. In general there are 14 structures which are responsible for implementation of the program. We also deal with monitoring of international conventions and documents which we recommend be adopted by Azerbaijani legislation. We study all international conventions and recommend those of them which are beneficial for our interests.