Report by the Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Thomas Hammarberg, on his visit to Azerbaijan

“B. Conscientious objection to military service
81. One of the commitments of Azerbaijan upon accession to the Council of Europe in 2001 was to establish an alternative to military service by 2004. To this day, such a legislative framework has not yet been shaped up. A draft law concerning an alternative to the military service was sent for review to the Council of Europe and was sent back to the authorities more than a year ago on 23 October 2006. Obviously, the general atmosphere in the wider region, a recent past of wars and atrocities and ongoing tensions with some neighbours have had the consequence that the issue has not received the treatment it deserves. The Commissioner urges a speedy adoption of a law establishing an alternative civilian service.“
CommDH(2008)2