PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos has reacted to the announcement by the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan that certain members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will be considered as personae non grata in the country.
“This is more than a regrettable signal which only renders the current position of Azerbaijan in the Council of Europe more difficult. Member states have undertaken to respect the standards of democracy: blacklisting those who have voted according to their conscience can only backfire,” Theodoros Rousopoulos said.
Azerbaijan has banned 76 politicians from 26 European countries from entering the country. Baku has stated that it will only lift the ban if its delegation’s mandate to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is restored.
Earlier this year, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe decided not to ratify the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation, citing the country’s failure to meet key commitments. The Assembly expressed serious concerns regarding 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. This resolution was adopted with 76 votes in favor, 10 against, and 4 abstentions.
The Assembly also highlighted the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, noting that Azerbaijan’s leadership “did not acknowledge the very serious humanitarian and human rights consequences” resulting from the lack of free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor. The Assembly also recalled 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.”
