On January 30, 2025, an event took place during the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Winter Session addressing the alarming human rights crisis in Azerbaijan. Organized by the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and Ms. Laura Castel Fort, the discussion delved into Azerbaijan’s persistent non-compliance with Council of Europe norms :
Ms. Laura Castel Fort (Spain, UEL) condemned Azerbaijan’s worsening human rights crisis, with over 331 political prisoners, including journalists and activists, facing arbitrary detention and prosecution. She criticized Azerbaijan’s retaliation against MPs, including herself, after the Council of Europe refused to ratify its delegation credentials due to violations. She emphasized that Azerbaijan’s refusal to attend the PACE Winter Session shows its disregard for accountability.
“We must ensure that Azerbaijan’s political prisoners are not forgotten, that the repression of independent voices does not go unchecked, and that the Council of Europe remains firm in upholding its values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.” – Laura Castel Fort
Ms. Thórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir (Iceland, SOC) expressed concern over Azerbaijan’s continued failure to address the worsening issue of political prisoners despite a 25-year commitment to do so. She criticized the Azerbaijani authorities for denying political motivations behind the imprisonment of individuals and unfair trials. Ævarsdóttir also highlighted the 2017 corruption scandal, where Azerbaijan was accused of bribing Council members to protect its interests.
“I don’t think the azerbaijani authorities will listen to anything other than the threat of expulsion in terms of whether or not they will be able to deal with this issue”- Thórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir
Diana Nazarets criticizes Azerbaijan for its lack of political will to restore full participation in the Council of Europe since its delegation credentials were not ratified in January 2024. Despite overwhelming evidence of politically motivated arrests, the Azerbaijani government denies the existence of political prisoners, manipulating media to further its agenda, with President Aliyev publicly attacking the Council of Europe, calling it a symbol of political corruption. This repression mirrors past tactics, and the European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly ruled against Azerbaijan’s violations.
“When discussing Azerbaijan’s commitments to human rights, the reality is clear: the country is moving further and further away from its obligations under the Council of Europe.”- Diana Nazarets
Emin Huseynov criticizes President Aliyev for using the COP29 event to improve his authoritarian image, while key figures that participated failed to demonstrate solidarity towards Azerbaijani civil society representatives. Azerbaijan has the highest number of imprisoned journalists, according to the Council of Europe’s Journalists’ Safety Platform, comparable to non Council members under Authoritarian regimes such as Belarus or Russia. Furthermore, he states that Aliyev has been in power for five terms, appointed his wife as vice president, and is grooming his son for future leadership, suggesting no democratic change will occur as long as the same regime remains in place. Despite being part of the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan has ignored court judgments, failed to pay compensation to victims, and rejected democratic oversight.
“Every week we have several new political prisoners, and this is unacceptable. Even one political prisoner for a Council of Europe member State is too much”- Emin Huseynov
Ms. Lise Christoffersen (Norway, SOC) highlights the deteriorating human rights situation in Azerbaijan, particularly the increasing repression of political and civil activists, media representatives, and government critics. Currently the only co-rapporteur on Azerbaijan, she emphasizes the need for urgent legislative changes, especially regarding political parties, media, and NGOs, to align with Council of Europe standards and raises the possibility of restructuring the organization to have two categories of membership: those that comply with obligations and those that don’t, potentially allowing civil society to play a more significant role.
“There is no doubt that these charges are fabricated and follow a troubled pattern on arbitrary arrests and detentions as well as ill treatment and torture of government critics”– Lise Christoffersen