What changed

B100233/2024

B100221/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the continued repression of civil society and independent media in Azerbaijan and the cases of Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, Anar Mammadli, Kamran Mammadli, Rufat Safarov and Meydan TV

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Rule 150 (5) of its Rulesprevious ofresolutions Procedure,on Azerbaijan,

A. whereas Gubad Ibadoghlu was arrested by Azerbaijani authorities in July 2023 and remained in detention until 22 April 2024, when he was transferred to house arrest; whereas Anar Mammadli has been in pretrial detention since 29 April 2024; whereas Rufat Safarov was arrested on 3 December 2024; whereas on 6 December 2024, several Meydan TV affiliated journalists were arrested;

– having regard to Rule 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

B. whereas more than 120.000 Armenians were forced to flee their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh following the military offensive of Azerbaijan in September 2023; whereas several ethnic Armenians still remain in detention by the government of Azerbaijan;

whereas Azerbaijan’s regime continues to wring any remaining vestige of human rights in the country as it ramps up its comprehensive crackdown against civil society, human rights defenders and journalists;

C. whereas the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) took place in Baku from 11 until 22 November 2024;

whereas in early December 2024 authorities arrested Meydan TV’s journalists Aynur Ganbarova, Aytaj Ahmadova, Khayala Agayeva, Natig Javadli, Aysel Umudova, and Ramin Jabrayilzade; whereas police have also arrested animal rights activist Kamran Mammadli, Deputy Director of the Baku Journalism School Ulvi Tahirov, and human rights defender Rufat Safarov; whereas human rights defender Anar Mammadli has been detained since 29 April 2024; whereas all face unfounded, politically motivated charges;

D whereas European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Azerbaijan on 18 July 2022, with the commitment to double the country’s natural gas exports to the EU by 2027; whereas Azerbaijan’s natural gas exports to Europe have increased from 19 billion cubic meters in 2021 to 23.8 billion cubic meters in 2023;

whereas academic, anti-corruption activist and shortlisted 2024 Sakharov Prize finalist Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu continues to be held under house arrest and denied adequate medical care;

E whereas the bilateral relationship between the EU and Azerbaijan is governed by the EU- Azerbaijan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, in force since 1999;

whereas prisoner’s human rights are routinely violated, including detention in inhumane conditions and torture; whereas reports highlight specific harassment and abuse of female political prisoners, such as in the case of Nargiz Absalamova;

1. Encourages Azerbaijan to give prisoners access to medical care; encourages Azerbaijan to release the ethnic Armenians that are still in detention, because of humanitarian reasons and as a step towards improving the relationship with Armenia;

Urges the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately and unconditionally release and drop all charges against human rights defenders, civil society activists, and journalists; highlights the urgency to immediately release those in need of medical care, including Gubad Ibadoghlu, Anar Mammadli, Alasgar Mammadli, Hafiz Babali, Fazil Gasimov, Famil Khalilov, Ulvi Hasanli, Aziz Orujov, and Ruslan Izzatli;

2 Notes that the EU and Azerbaijan discuss issues of human rights in the framework of their partnership;

Deplores the decision by the Azerbaijani authorities not to lift Dr Ibadoghlu’s house arrest to enable him to attend the Sakharov Prize ceremony in Strasbourg;

3. Encourages the EU and its Member States to deepen their relationship with Azerbaijan in different fields; emphasises that energy supply should be freed from political and ideological debates;

Calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to end the atrocious harassment and fabricated lawsuits against dissenting voices, to repeal the repressive legislation on the registration and funding of nongovernmental organizations and media, and bring its laws in line with Venice Commission recommendations;

4. Urges the EU to be cautious in lecturing third states in the field of democracy and human rights, in the light of several negative developments in this area in different Member States; refers, in this regard, to the decision of the Romanian Constitutional Court of 6 December 2024 to annul the results of the first round of the presidential elections, in which a right-wing candidate obtained the most votes; is of the opinion that a credible external policy in the field of human rights and democracy prerequisites that the EU remedies its own deficiencies in this area;

Calls for targeted sanctions, under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, against officials responsible for serious human rights violations, including Presidential Assistant Fuad Alasgarov, Internal Affairs Minister Vilayat Eyvazov, and National Security Agency Director Ali Naghiyev;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European External Action Service, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

Calls on the Commission and EEAS to reinforce support for independent civil society and media in the country and in exile; asks the EU delegation and Member States’ embassies to monitor trials, to conduct prison visits, to support the families of political prisoners, including financially, and to offer protection to people at risk of persecution, including by facilitating entry for asylum or temporary refuge;

Calls on the Commission and EEAS to ensure that Azerbaijan’s appalling human rights situation is prioritised in relations with Azerbaijan; notes that closer trade relations should only be pursued if Azerbaijan releases all political prisoners, and significantly improves its human rights record; calls for the suspension of the 2022 memorandum of understanding on the strategic partnership in the field of energy;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the VP/HR, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the President and the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan.