Meydan TV's exclusive interview with Mr. Markus Löning, official German Government Commissioner for Human Rights.
Mr. Löning shared his thoughts with Meydan TV about the 9th of October presidential elections in Azerbaijan, stating that in recent years elections in Azerbaijan went from bad to worse. The latest presidential elections were neither free nor fair.
Mr. Löning also talked about the aggressive pressure that the government of Azerbaijan applies in its relations with OSCE/ODIHR and the Council of Europe to get its way. He invited Azerbaijani government to respect its international commitments, but also invited Council of Europe to take seriously its own rules.
CoE observation mission consisting of 7 PACE members and headed by Robert Walter is also subject of the interview. PACE delegation stated that "elections were free and fair". Mr Walter is reportedly a member of the "Conservative Friends of Azerbaijan" (CFAZ) - pro-regime lobby group in the UK Parliament. According to European Stability Initiative (ESI) "Caviar Diplomacy" report, CFAZ is funded by The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS), the organization headed by Tale Heydarov, son of the powerful oligarch and Minister for Emergencies in Azerbaijan.
