While it might be legitimate to restrict (temporarily) the right to stand for election for individuals on the grounds of severe and clearly defined crimes, it should be emphasised that bans on the right to be elected have been systematically used against political dissidents in several countries such as Azerbaijan, Turkey and Russia. The Committee of Ministers, for instance, has repeatedly urged Azerbaijan to release political prisoners, to revoke their convictions and to delete their criminal records. In contradiction of judgements of the ECtHR and repeated requests from the CoE, a number of potential candidates have been prevented from standing for elections, there (see also PACE Doc. 15090, para 36).