On 14 September, the Milli Mejlis (Azerbaijani Parliament) held an extraordinary meeting in which it adopted the “Decision of Milli Mejlis of Azerbaijan Republic on the resolution dated September 10, 2015 of the European Parliament”. The European Parliament’s resolution on Azerbaijan called for the release of political prisoners and visa bans against certain officials.
The Milli Mejlis decision describes the European Parliament (EP) resolution as biased, and intended to isolate Azerbaijan.
The decision further states that the demands for the release of some imprisoned persons lack legal basis.
The Milli Mejlis has demanded an end to the alleged “destructive activity” and “biased campaign” against Azerbaijan, which MPs says are undermining the reputation of the EP. In response to the resolution, the Cabinet has ordered the Azerbaijani delegation to withdraw from the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. Further, the Cabinet of Ministers has been instructed to ban the EP members’ entry to Azerbaijan in case sanctions are imposed against Azerbaijani officials.