"Parallel Discussions" on Azerbaijan at the Winter Session of PACE

During the winter session of PACE at the Palais de l'Europe in Strasbourg, a "parallel event" was held on January 30 dedicated to the "alarming human rights crisis in Azerbaijan." The hearings were organized by the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and PACE member, co-chair of the Group of Unified European Left (Group of the Unified European), Spanish parliamentarian Laura Castel Fort.

During the hearings, Fort condemned Azerbaijan's worsening human rights crisis, with over 331 political prisoners, including journalists and activists, facing arbitrary detention and prosecution. She criticized Azerbaijan’s retaliation against MPs, including herself, after the Council of Europe refused to ratify its delegation credentials due to violations. She emphasized that Azerbaijan’s refusal to attend the PACE Winter Session shows its disregard for accountability.

The refusal of Azerbaijan to participate in the winter PACE session of 2025 reflects the country’s disregard for its commitments and responsibilities. “We must ensure that Azerbaijan’s political prisoners are not forgotten, that the repression of independent voices does not go unchecked, and that the Council of Europe remains firm in upholding its values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.” - Laura Castel Fort said.

Icelandic parliamentarian Thórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir (Iceland, SOC) expressed concern over Azerbaijan's continued failure to address the worsening issue of political prisoners despite a 25-year commitment to do so. She criticized the Azerbaijani authorities for denying political motivations behind the imprisonment of individuals and unfair trials..

Ms. Thórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir (Iceland, SOC) expressed concern over Azerbaijan's continued failure to address the worsening issue of political prisoners despite a 25-year commitment to do so. She criticized the Azerbaijani authorities for denying political motivations behind the imprisonment of individuals and unfair trials. Ævarsdóttir also highlighted the 2017 corruption scandal, where Azerbaijan was accused of bribing Council members to protect its interests.

 Diana Nazarets, from the Geneva-based Human Rights Institute, criticized Azerbaijan for lacking the political will to fully re-engage with the Council of Europe. "Despite irrefutable evidence of politically motivated arrests, the Azerbaijani government denies the existence of political prisoners. The country is moving further away from its obligations under the Council of Europe," said Nazarets.

Emin Huseynov criticizes President Aliyev for using the COP29 event to improve his authoritarian image, while key figures that participated failed to demonstrate solidarity towards Azerbaijani civil society representatives. Azerbaijan has the highest number of imprisoned journalists, according to the Council of Europe’s Journalists' Safety Platform, comparable to non Council members under Authoritarian regimes such as Belarus or Russia. Furthermore, he states that Aliyev has been in power for five terms, appointed his wife as vice president, and is grooming his son for future leadership, suggesting no democratic change will occur as long as the same regime remains in place. Despite being part of the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan has ignored court judgments, failed to pay compensation to victims, and rejected democratic oversight.

Ms. Lise Christoffersen (Norway, SOC) highlights the deteriorating human rights situation in Azerbaijan, particularly the increasing repression of political and civil activists, media representatives, and government critics. Currently the only co-rapporteur on Azerbaijan, she emphasizes the need for urgent legislative changes, especially regarding political parties, media, and NGOs, to align with Council of Europe standards and raises the possibility of restructuring the organization to have two categories of membership: those that comply with obligations and those that don't, potentially allowing civil society to play a more significant role.