Brussels, 12/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - the follow-up group for Armenia and Azerbaijan at the Council of Europe, in charge of assessing respect for commitments taken by the two countries during their accession to the Council of Europe, notes an "absence of substantial progress" by both countries over the last 18 months. The group's third report published on 4 September particularly refers to two cases: the unconditional abolition of the death sentence in Armenia and the liberation of political prisoners in Azerbaijan. It also notes that "the independence of the legislature, judiciary and media appears to be seen as a threat to the powers" that be, concentrated in the hands of the Presidents in the two countries. Cases of harassment, arrests and violence against political opponents and the media have been documented by several NGOs, points out the report. In Armenia, the most recent elections have been tarnished by "numerous irregularities" while in Azerbaijan, "a pre-election climate is very difficult" and dominates the Presidential elections of 15 October. The group is recommending to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to underline the urgency of resolving the issue of political prisoners in Azerbaijan and requesting a new report on the progress achieved by the two counties at the beginning of 2004.