On the situation in Azerbaijan, violation of human rights and international law and relations with Armenia
B-10-2024-0133
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group · Rapporteur: Sergey Lagodinsky, Ville Niinistö, Maria Ohisalo, Catarina Vieira, Hannah Neumann, Nicolae Ştefănuță, Markéta Gregorová, Michael Bloss, Alice Kuhnke, Isabella Lövin, Pär Holmgren, Marie Toussaint
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This resolution condemns Azerbaijan's human rights violations, including repression of civil society, journalists, and activists, and calls for their release and for an end to repression.¶¶¶ It urges the EU to condition relations with Azerbaijan on human rights improvements, suspend energy trade, and consider sanctions.¶¶ It also addresses the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, calling for continued negotiations and Türkiye's constructive role.¶¶¶
Key points
- Calls for the immediate release of named political prisoners, human rights defenders, and journalists, and for the vacation of convictions.¶
- Demands adequate healthcare for all detained on politically motivated charges.¶
- Urges dropping charges against Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu and allowing him to travel for medical care and attend the Sakharov Prize ceremony.¶
- Calls for repeal of restrictive NGO and media legislation and for civil society to operate freely.¶
- Encourages the Commission to review funding for Azerbaijani civil society and media, aligning with strategies used in Belarus.¶
- Condemns repression of freedom of assembly, citing the Soyudlu protests.¶
- Calls on Azerbaijan to comply with Council of Europe anti-torture recommendations and implement all European Court of Human Rights decisions.¶¶
- Regrets EU statements calling Azerbaijan a 'reliable partner' and insists the EU end reliance on fossil-fuel-rich authoritarian countries.¶
- Denounces Azerbaijan's systematic bribery of European politicians.¶
- Urges EU and Member States to use COP29 to condemn Azerbaijan's human rights violations and demand release of detainees.¶¶
- Calls for suspension of all energy trade with Azerbaijan, including the MoU, until human rights conditions are met.¶
- Calls on the Commission to investigate targeted sanctions under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.¶
Who is affected
- Azerbaijani government: must release detainees, repeal restrictive laws, and improve human rights.¶¶¶
- EU institutions: must condition relations, suspend energy trade, and consider sanctions.¶¶
- Armenia and Azerbaijan: urged to continue peace negotiations.¶
- Türkiye: called to take more diplomatic responsibility in the region.¶
Figures and deadlines
- More than 320 court judgments against Azerbaijan not executed or partially implemented.¶
Legal basis: Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union¶