OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva decided last week that no OSCE PA delegation will deploy to observe the 1 November parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, in line with an earlier decision made by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).
The President announced his decision during the Assembly’s Autumn Meeting, saying on 17 September that if ODIHR would not send observers due to restrictions imposed by the Azerbaijani authorities, then neither would the Parliamentary Assembly.
Speaking at the PA’s Standing Committee meeting last week in Ulaanbaatar, President Kanerva said, “The Azerbaijan government has imposed restrictions on the work of our traditional OSCE partner, ODIHR. As a result, ODIHR has been forced to cancel their planned observation mission in Azerbaijan. I think it is only appropriate that if our very vital and close partner ODIHR cannot observe, that we also don’t observe in Azerbaijan”, - reads the press release of OSCE PA. -02D-
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The COP29 conference concluded in Baku, leaving behind a trail of controversy and criticism. Renowned historian Jamil Hasanli characterized the event as a vivid reflection of governance problems in Azerbaijan under President Ilham Aliyev. Hasanli, a staunch critic of the administration, described COP29 as an expensive spectacle that exposed systemic failures and intensified international scrutiny of Azerbaijan's political and economic structures.
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President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola has invited Azerbaijani economist and political prisoner Professor Gubad Ibadoglu to Strasbourg to attend the 2024 Sakharov Prize award ceremony. The invitation, delivered by Member of the European Parliament Michael Bloss at the COP29 climate conference, comes as Ibadoglu remains under house arrest and prohibited from leaving Azerbaijan.
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An operation at Istanbul Airport has revealed an incident that could strain diplomatic relations. Kahraman Shamil oglu Mammadov, alleged to be an Azerbaijani military attaché, was caught with 70 kilograms of gold. According to Turkish media, Despite Mammadov's claims that he is a diplomat, it is believed that the incident is related to gold smuggling.
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On a brisk November evening, the residents of Baku gathered along the waterfront of the Caspian Sea, stunned by what appeared to be the washed-up body of a colossal whale. At 16 meters long, the creature’s seemingly lifeless form and pungent odor left many convinced they were witnessing an ecological tragedy. By that night, however, the mysterious visitor had departed, loaded onto a cargo platform and whisked away to the airport.
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