Debates on the Situation in Azerbaijan at the PACE Autumn Session
In the draft agenda, there is a request for an urgent debate on "The deteriorating situation of human rights, rule of law and democracy in Azerbaijan". The Assembly will consider all the requests for urgent debates on Monday, the 30th of September, and will decide which requests to accept. If the Assembly agrees to hold these debates, they will be included into the final agenda. Therefore, the final agenda will be available on the 30th of September only.
On Monday, the 30th of September, from 12h00 to 13h00 (Strasbourg time), the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize award ceremony will take place. One of the three shortlisted candidates for this year’s ceremony is Akif Gurbanov, Azerbaijan.
Gurbanov is a human rights defender, political activist and active member of the Azerbaijani civil society. He is the co-founder of the Institute of Democratic Initiative (IDI) and of the Third Republic. He was arrested in March 2024 during a wave of detentions targeting journalists and activists in Azerbaijan, as highlighted in the press release. The other two nominees for the award are Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado and Georgian gender activist Babuca Pataraya.
Politics
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Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who arrived in Baku today, held a press conference at the COP29 climate conference. When asked about the arrested climate activists and opposition figures in Azerbaijan, she stated that Germany advocates for the release of government critics and that she would raise this issue during her meeting with Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister. She specifically mentioned the name of Professor Gubad Ibadoglu, a doctor from Dresden University.
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On November 21, climate activists held a series of protests at the COP29 climate conference in Baku. The main themes of the protests included nuclear weapons testing, animal killings, protection of rivers and water bodies, and environmental pollution.
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The General Assembly of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) adopted a resolution on Friday reaffirming its commitment to democratic reforms, regional stability, and European integration amidst escalating geopolitical tensions driven by Russia's ongoing aggression in Ukraine.
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Activist Nijat Ibrahim, who was detained in Baku pre-trial detention center-1, inflicted numerous wounds on himself on November 20 in protest against unjustified criminal prosecution, his wife Parvin Ibrahim told Turan. According to her, on November 21, her husband called her and informed her that the day before he had inflicted incised wounds on himself with a piece of mirror. In particular, he cut his throat and ears.
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