The European Union is concerned about the situation with human rights and media freedoms in Azerbaijan

How does the European Union assess the latest arrests of journalists and political activists in Azerbaijan? Peter Stano, the European Commission's Lead Spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy, responded to this request from the Azerbaijani service of Voice of America Radio:

"Freedom of expression and independent media are universal values applicable everywhere and to everyone. The human rights situation in Azerbaijan and the situation of independent media in particular remain an issue of concern that we repeatedly raise with our Azerbaijani counterparts. We use every opportunity to call on Azerbaijan to uphold its domestic and international obligations regarding freedom of media and human rights of its own citizens, which we also underlined in the recent statement of 21 December 2023.

Human rights and the respect of the rule of law remain at the core of the European Union's relationship with Azerbaijan. The EU believes that respect for basic rights, including the right to a fair trial and due process, are fundamental for stability and prosperity. For this reason, the EU will continue to be engaged in all fora that allow it to raise concerns related to human rights developments in Azerbaijan, including the annual EU-Azerbaijan Human Rights Dialogue."