29/11/2013 Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Mailis Reps (Estonia, ALDE), PACE’s rapporteur on “Strengthening the protection and role of human rights defenders in Council of Europe Member States”, has just ended a series of fact-finding visits to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan (20-29 November 2013).
She met with representatives of civil society, human rights defenders, lawyers, members of parliament and a number of state high officials to discuss, in particular, the situation of human rights defenders.
In Armenia (21-23 November 2013), the rapporteur met with Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan, Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan and the head of police Vladimir Gasparyan. In Georgia (25-26 November 2013), she met Deputy Minister of Justice Gocha Lortkipanidze and Ombudsman Usha Nanuashvili. In Azerbaijan (27-28 November 2013) she met, among others, Minister of Internal Affairs Ramil Usubov and Deputy Minister of Justice Azar Jafarov.
Details concerning the rapporteur’s visits will be presented to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights at its meeting in January 2014.