The Resolution was adopted with an overwhelming majority of votes, and it calls on the MPs to protect the rights and refrain from the extradition of journalists and whistleblowers, as well as to clearly define the procedures for classifying the confidentiality of documents. Also, it is stated that the measures taken against Assange are disproportionate in relation to the offense and it was pointed out that his extradition to the USA would mean a life sentence, where he would be a political prisoner, which would have very negative consequences for journalism and whistleblowers in the world.

In addition to other topics, the session also discussed the situation regarding the state of the rule of law, human rights and democracy in Azerbaijan. Speaking at the plenum, the Head of the National Assembly’s standing delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Biljana Pantic Pilja stressed that the exclusion of the Azerbaijani delegation from the work of the Parliamentary Assembly in January of this year was a mistake and that our delegation is fundamentally opposed to such an approach and the exclusion of member state delegations from of the work of the Assembly. She underlined that the eventual inclusion of entities and territories instead of states would make the situation even worse. Without the Azerbaijani delegation, it is impossible to achieve dialogue, which is one of the main goals of the Parliamentary Assembly, and this can lead to further tensions and accusations.

Aleksandar Mirkovic, Dunja Simonovic Bratic, Elvira Kovacs and Vladimir Djordjevic are also part of our delegation at this session. The delegation also met with the rapporteur for Serbia, Axel Schafer, with whom they agreed on the work plan for the Report in the coming period and expressed dissatisfaction that the Report was being drafted for more than 12 years.