Sittings · Document
On the arbitrary arrest and sentencing of academics Bahruz Samadov and Igbal Abilov in Azerbaijan
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group · Rapporteur: Markéta Gregorová, Maria Ohisalo, Ville Niinistö, Mounir Satouri, Mélissa Camara, Nicolae Ștefănuță, Erik Marquardt
This resolution condemns the arbitrary arrest and sentencing of academics Bahruz Samadov and Igbal Abilov in Azerbaijan, and calls for their immediate release along with that of Fazil Gasimov.¶¶ It urges the EU to suspend energy trade relations with Azerbaijan, freeze Partnership and Cooperation Agreement negotiations, and impose targeted sanctions on officials responsible for human rights violations.¶¶
Key points
- Urges Azerbaijani authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Samadov, Abilov and Gasimov, and to ensure due process and fair trial standards in the interim.¶
- Reiterates concern over the worsening human rights situation in Azerbaijan, especially restrictions on freedoms of expression, assembly, and association.¶
- Urges Azerbaijan to comply with Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture recommendations on ill-treatment by police and in pre-trial detention.¶
- Considers that individuals detained on treason charges related to peace activism should be released after the initialling of the peace agreement with Armenia.¶
- Calls on the EU to reassess funding for Azerbaijani civil society and align it with strategies used for Belarusian civil society.¶
- Calls on the EU and Member States to use their leverage as Azerbaijan's main trading partner to address human rights violations, and insists on suspending all energy trade relations and freezing Partnership and Cooperation Agreement negotiations.¶
- Demands that the EU ends its reliance on fossil-fuel rich authoritarian countries.¶
- Calls for targeted sanctions under the EU GHRSR against individuals responsible for human rights violations, including state officials Fuad Alasgarov, Vilayat Eyvazov, Ali Naghiyev and Kamran Aliyev.¶
Who is affected
- Azerbaijani authorities and government officials, who are urged to release prisoners and face potential sanctions.¶¶
- Academics Bahruz Samadov, Igbal Abilov, and Fazil Gasimov, who are to be released.¶¶
- EU and Member States, which are called on to suspend energy trade and freeze negotiations with Azerbaijan.¶
Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text and ¶ links to the paragraph it rests on. Check the text itself before relying on it.