What changed

B100236/2024

P10_TA(2024)0074

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on continuedContinued 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

(2024/2994(RSP))

PE767.564

European Parliament resolution of 19 December 2024 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 (2024/2994(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to itsthe previousEuropean resolutionsConvention on Human Rights, ratified by Azerbaijan,

– having regard to RuleRules 150150(5) (5)and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas Azerbaijan has serious shortcomings in the area of fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression and assembly and media freedom, and engages in repression of political activists, journalists and civil society, all of which distances Azerbaijan from democratic norms and international human rights standards; whereas corruption and a lack of judicial independence further undermine the country’s governance, while government authorities continue to suppress dissent and persecute critics;

A. whereas since 2023, the Azerbaijani authorities have been engaged in a systemic crackdown on civil society, political opposition, human rights defenders, the LGBTI+ community and independent media, which intensified around COP29;

whereas Gubad Ibadoghlu, a political economist and opposition figure, was arrested by Azerbaijani authorities in July 2023 and remained in detention until 22 April 2024, when he was placed on house arrest; whereas in December 2024 a court extended Ibadoglu’s travel ban, which prevents him from traveling abroad to receive essential treatment for his heart condition, which deteriorated severely during his pre-trial detention;

B. whereas there are over 300 political prisoners in Azerbaijan as well as 23 Armenian prisoners of war, including leaders of the former self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh republic;

whereas Anar Mammadli, a prominent human rights defender and head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center, was detained in April 2024 on charges of smuggling money into Azerbaijan; whereas his health has reportedly deteriorated during his detention;

C. whereas political prisoner and 2024 Sakharov Prize finalist Gubad Ibadoghlu remains under house arrest; whereas the European Court of Human Rights ruled that his health condition is critical, requiring hospitalisation and urgent heart surgery;

whereas animal rights activist Kamran Mammadli was detained in the margins of the recent COP29 climate conference;

D. whereas civil society leader Anar Mammadli has been in pre-trial detention since April 2024 on bogus charges, with his health deteriorating due to denied healthcare;

whereas Rufat Safarov, a human rights defender and former investigator at the Prosecutor’s Office, was detained on 3 December 2024 on charges of fraud and hooliganism and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted;

E. whereas in early December 2024, the Azerbaijani authorities arrested MeydanTV journalists Aynur Ganbarova, Aytaj Ahmadova, Khayala Agayeva, Natig Javadli and Aysel Umudova, and journalists Ramin Jabrayilzade and Ahmad Mukhtar; whereas they also arrested Baku Journalism School deputy director Ulvi Tahirov, political leader Azer Gasimli and human rights defender Rufat Safarov; whereas all face unfounded, politically motivated charges;

whereas on 6 December 2024 Azerbaijani authorities detained five journalists associated with Meydan TV, a Berlin-based Azerbaijani media outlet, and one independent journalist on charges of foreign currency smuggling; whereas they face up to eight years in prison;

F. whereas environmental activist Kamran Mammadli was attacked by security guards at COP29 and is banned from travelling;

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G. whereas prisoners’ human rights are routinely violated through detention in inhumane conditions, torture and specific harassment of female political prisoners, including Nargiz Absalamova;

Expresses its concern about the human rights situation in Azerbaijan; urges Azerbaijan to fulfil its obligations under its own constitution and under international agreements to protect fundamental freedoms and respect the human dignity of its citizens, and to ban the use of criminal prosecution as a tool to suppress government critics and members of civil society;

1. Strongly condemns the Azerbaijani regime’s reported ongoing violations of human rights, including freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly, and its politically motivated abuse of the criminal justice system;

Calls on Azerbaijan to lift the travel ban on Gubad Ibadoghlu, to drop all charges against him and to allow him independent medical examination by a doctor of his own choosing and to receive treatment abroad;

2. Urges the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately end the crackdown on all dissident groups and unconditionally release and drop all charges against human rights defenders, journalists and political and other activists prosecuted under fabricated, politically motivated charges;

Calls on the authorities to release Anar Mammadli, Kamran Mammadli, Rufat Safarov, the journalists linked to Meydan TV and all others imprisoned for exercising their fundamental rights, and to drop all charges against them;

3. Demands that the authorities immediately lift the travel ban on Ibadoghlu, unconditionally drop all charges against him and allow him to receive urgent treatment abroad; deplores the fact that Ibadoghlu was not allowed to attend the Sakharov Prize ceremony or connect remotely;

4. Calls on Azerbaijan to lift undue restrictions on independent media by bringingaligning its laws relatedon tothe registration and funding of nongovernmentalnon-governmental groups and media intowith complianceVenice withCommission internationalrecommendations; standardsdemands andthat recommendationsthe issuedauthorities byend the Venicerepression Commission.of MeydanTV, ToplumTV, Abaz Media and Kanal13;

Calls on the EU Delegation in Baku to monitor all aforementioned cases and calls on the EU to step up its efforts to promote human rights and democratic governance in Azerbaijan;

5. Calls for EU sanctions under its global human rights sanctions regime to be imposed on Azerbaijani officials responsible for serious human rights violations, including Fuad Alasgarov, Vilayat Eyvazov and Ali Naghiyev;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Government and Parliament of Azerbaijan.

6. Insists that any EU-Azerbaijan partnership agreement – including on energy – must be strongly conditional on respect for fundamental rights and the release of all political prisoners; calls on the Commission to suspend the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership in the Field of Energy;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, Member States and the President, Government and Parliament of Azerbaijan.