Human rights organizations step up calls for release of political prisoners on eve of COP29

International human rights organizations ‘Human Rights Watch’ and ‘Freedom Now’ have published a joint 74-page report in which they report on repressions in Azerbaijan against critics of the government in the run-up to the COP29 conference and call for the release of political prisoners. Note that the human rights organization ‘Amnesty International’ made a similar call.

 Azerbaijan is carrying out a brutal attack on government critics, independent groups and the media, all three organizations said.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/10/08/azerbaijan-vicious-assault-government-critics

The repressions have intensified just months before COP29, which opens in Baku on 11 November 2024, human rights activists say.

Authorities have arrested dozens of people on politically motivated, bogus criminal charges. They have also arbitrarily applied repressive laws and outlawed independent groups and media outlets, making them vulnerable to criminal prosecution.

‘The Azerbaijani government's disregard for civil liberties puts independent groups and critical media on a path to extinction,’ said Georgi Gogia, deputy director for Europe and Central Asia at ‘Human Rights Watch’.

‘By combining unjust detention and restrictive rules for NGOs, the government of Azerbaijan is attempting to eradicate civil society,’ said Andrea Prasov, Executive Director of ‘Freedom Now’.

‘At this critical time before COP29, states and UN officials must urgently call on Azerbaijan to immediately and unconditionally release arbitrarily detained activists and commit to respecting human rights at COP29 and beyond,’ she emphasized.

Azerbaijan is holding an international conference on climate justice, actively undermining the foundations of climate activism - suppressing all forms of criticism and destroying civil society, another international human rights organization ‘Amnesty International’ said.

‘Unless the Azerbaijani authorities radically change their repressive approach, civil society organizations, independent media and activists will not be able to freely express their critical views and participate effectively in COP29. This will seriously undermine the process and spoil the outcome of the conference. To have a truly effective impact, the conference must be a forum for the free exchange of views and ideas - not only those of government delegates, but also those of independent civil society actors who are driving climate justice and human rights both locally and internationally,’ said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of ‘Amnesty International’.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/10/08/azerbaijan-vicious-assault-government-critics

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/10/cop29-azerbaijan-end-assault-on-civil-society/