Is Azerbaijan seeking to withdraw from the Council of Europe?

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) approved resolution No. 15898 on January 24, temporarily revoking Azerbaijan's right to vote until the PACE session in January 2025. The move follows concerns over human rights violations, political prisoners, and Azerbaijan's refusal to allow PACE speakers into the Lachyn corridor in 2023.

The resolution, initiated by German MP Frank Schwabe, highlights ongoing human rights abuses and the increasing number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan. It also references Azerbaijan's rejection of PACE delegation invitations to evaluate the upcoming presidential elections on February 7.

Prior to the session, the Azerbaijani delegation made a statement, asserting that no one can speak to Azerbaijan in the language of threats and blackmail. Subsequently, the delegation left the PACE building. Pro-government media has raised the possibility of Azerbaijan withdrawing from the Council of Europe and refusing to recognize the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Zohrab Ismail, a representative of civil society and an economist, shared his view on the situation in the "Difficult Question" program. Ismail believes that if Azerbaijan had not faced issues such as political arrests and restrictions on PACE monitoring, the delegation would have allowed PACE speakers into the country and invited the PACE delegation to assess the upcoming elections.

Ismail argues that the adoption of resolution No. 15898 is a result of the actions of the Armenian lobby, capitalizing on Azerbaijan's persistent challenges. He suggests that expectations for positive changes in Azerbaijan after regaining territorial integrity were not met, as the country introduced restrictive laws and failed to adhere to European values.

The activist points out that Azerbaijan's disregard for PACE and other European institutions became evident with the negative conclusions from the Institute of the Council of Europe "Venice Commission." The recent hasty presidential elections within 60 days, amid other issues, further strained relations with PACE.

Ismail concludes that PACE had to react to these accumulating problems to avoid losing credibility, leading to the adoption of the resolution limiting Azerbaijan's voting rights until January 2025.