Ahead of the COP29 Azerbaijan has banned 76 politicians from 26 European countries from entering the country. Azerbaijan has stated that it will only lift the ban if its delegation’s mandate to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is restored.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe had resolved not to ratify the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation, in January of this year, because the country had “not fulfilled major commitments.”
Serious concerns were Azerbaijan’s ability to conduct free and fair elections, the separation of powers, the weakness of its legislature in relation to the executive, the independence of the judiciary and respect for human rights. The Assembly said in a resolution, which was adopted with 76 votes in favour, 10 against and 4 abstentions.
The Assembly also cited the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, noting that Azerbaijan’s leadership “did not acknowledge the very serious humanitarian and human rights consequences” stemming from the lack of free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor, and recalling its condemnation of the September 2023 military operation “which led to the flight of the entire Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and to allegations of ethnic cleansing.’’
Commenting on the situation the EAFJD President Kaspar Karampetian said that a simple question should be addressed to all the governments whose parliamentarians have been banned, “Will you still choose to participate in COP29 in Baku, thus effectively letting down your own democratically elected parliamentarians who were banned simply for doing their job conscientiously?”
“It would be an embarrassment for the EU if it gives in to Azerbaijan’s pressure,” Karampetian stated.
The EAFJD President further elaborated:
“Another question that must be addressed to the UN Secretary-General is whether the UN allows an authoritarian regime such as Azerbaijan to dictate who can attend one of the organization’s main conferences.”
“Baku’s growing cynicism is a consequence of the fact that this small oil dictatorship has not been held accountable for its crimes and continues to openly show its contempt for democracy and human rights,” concluded Karampetian.