International NGOs urge PACE not to restore powers of Azerbaijani delegation

Ten international human rights organizations have called on members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to confirm the termination of Azerbaijan's powers in the structure and establish clear criteria for their restoration.

‘We, the undersigned, once again call on the PACE to confirm the suspension of Azerbaijan's powers at the January 2025 session and develop clear and measurable criteria for their restoration,’ the petition reads.

According to the authors of the appeal, Baku ‘demonstrates a constant lack of co-operation with international mechanisms and fails to address systemic human rights violations’.

It is also stated that over the last year Azerbaijan has refused to cooperate with the Council of Europe's Committee for Prevention of Torture.

Since November 2023, and after COP29 in November 2024, Azerbaijani authorities have intensified repressions against dissidents, targeting civil society, journalists and activists with politically motivated arrests on trumped-up charges.

The petition mentions criminal cases against activists including Afiaddin Mammadov, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, Rail Abbasov, Ilhamiz Guliyev, political scientist Azer Gasymly, human rights activist Rufat Safarov, Anar Mammadli, young researchers Iqbal Abilov and Bahruz Samedov, opposition politicians Gubad Ibadoglu, Tofig Yagublu and Akif Gurbanov, journalists arrested in the cases of 'Abzas Media', 'Toplum TV', 'Meydan TV', 'Kanal-13' and others.

The practice of imposing travel bans on journalists and activists is also mentioned.

The appeal concludes by saying that the immediate and unconditional release of detained civil activists, journalists and human rights defenders is necessary for the return of the Azerbaijani delegation to the PACE.

It is also stated that the decisions of the European Court of Justice on politically motivated arrests must be fully implemented.

Azerbaijan should resume co-operation with the PACE and Committee against Tortures of Rapporteurs, including their access to places of detention.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan should repeal restrictive NGO legislation and create conditions for independent civil society activities.

The petition was signed by: ‘Campaign to End Repressions in Azerbaijan’, ‘Committee to Protect Journalists’, ‘Freedom Now’, ‘Human Rights House Foundation’, Human Rights Watch‘, “International Federation for Human Rights” (IFHR) under the 'Human Rights Defenders Observatory', 'International Partnership for Human Rights', 'Netherlands Helsinki Committee', 'Norwegian Helsinki Committee', 'World Organisation Against Torture' (OMCT) under the 'Observatory for Protection of Human Rights Defenders’.