As the COP29 climate summit approaches, scheduled to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Social Democrats and Greens groups within the European Parliament have issued urgent calls for the release of political prisoners in the country.
In a statement shared on the social media platform X, the Social Democrats expressed concerns over Azerbaijan’s worsening human rights situation, calling for immediate action before the upcoming climate conference in November.
“We call on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately release Gubad Ibadoglu and all other political prisoners,” the group emphasized, stressing that any future agreements between the European Union and Azerbaijan must be contingent on human rights improvements and progress in the peace process with Armenia.
The statement also urged the EU to reconsider its gas agreement with Azerbaijan unless these conditions are met.
The Greens group echoed this demand, with a specific focus on Ibadoglu, a prominent economist and outspoken critic of Azerbaijan’s oil and gas sector. Currently under house arrest, Ibadoglu has been nominated for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the Greens, recognizing his advocacy for political reform.
Sergey Lagodinsky, a Member of the European Parliament and the European Parliament’s shadow rapporteur on Azerbaijan, highlighted the country’s reliance on fossil fuel revenues and its increasing pressure on political opposition. He noted growing concerns over the treatment of civil society as the UN climate summit draws near, stating, “The situation for opposition activists, journalists, and human rights defenders in Azerbaijan is catastrophic.”
Fellow MEP Markéta Gregorova, also a member of the Greens group, supported the calls for action and urged the EU delegation attending COP29 to speak out against the deteriorating human rights conditions in Azerbaijan. “We must recognize and support the struggle of the Azerbaijani opposition before the COP29 conference in Baku,” she remarked.
A resolution vote on these concerns is scheduled for Thursday, October 24, coinciding with the announcement of the 2024 Sakharov Prize winner during the same European Parliament plenary session.
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