PACE adopts changes to report on political prisoners

On October 3, 2012, additions and changes to the report 'Definition of Political Prisoners', applicable to all CoE Member States, were discussed at the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Trend reports.

"The adoption of the additions and changes resulted in the deletion of the Paragraph 3 from the report by Rapporteur Mr. Straesser," member of the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights Elkhan Suleymanov told Trend today. "The amendment indicated that the interpretation and application of any criteria of a political prisoner is the exclusive competence of the European Court for Human Rights, which is the only authority to assess violations of fundamental rights and freedoms, as stipulated in the European Convention for Human Rights and its Protocols."

"Thus, with the changes tabled by the members of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, the report "perfunctorily" prepared by Rapporteur Mr. Straesser for 2 years has finally become the document observing the rule of law," he said.