The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) should establish clear criteria for Azerbaijan’s delegation to meet before being readmitted to the assembly, according to a joint statement issued by Human Rights Watch and ten other human rights organizations on September 25.
The statement calls on the Council of Europe to implement defined standards that Azerbaijan must adhere to. It follows PACE’s January 2024 decision not to ratify the credentials of Azerbaijan’s parliamentary delegation. Since then, the statement claims, the Azerbaijani government has intensified its crackdown on human rights defenders, lawyers, independent journalists, opposition politicians, and civil society activists. The statement also alleges that authorities have filed serious criminal charges against independent media and civil society groups, with widespread reports of torture and ill-treatment in custody.
The joint statement also highlights concerns about Azerbaijan’s early parliamentary elections, which, according to the signatories, were conducted in a restrictive, non-competitive environment that failed to meet international democratic standards.
Given these developments, the statement urges PACE to insist that Azerbaijan meet its human rights obligations as a condition for restoring the country’s parliamentary delegation in 2025. The document further calls for the immediate and unconditional release of individuals who have been unjustly imprisoned, the restoration of their civil and political rights, and an end to the repression of dissenting voices. It also emphasizes the need for Azerbaijan to fully cooperate with PACE rapporteurs and the Committee Against Torture, and to implement the Committee’s recommendations to prevent torture and ill-treatment.
Additionally, the signatories express concern about the involvement of European Union countries in COP29, held in Baku, amidst ongoing repression in the country.
The statement was signed by a coalition of organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), and others involved in the campaign to support Azerbaijani rights activist Anar Mammadli.
Azerbaijan’s delegation suspended cooperation with PACE on January 24, 2024, following the assembly’s decision to limit the country’s participation. Azerbaijan has been a member of the Council of Europe since 2001, and its relationship with the organization dates back to 1992 when it first applied for special guest status.
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