Azerbaijan Using COP29 to Crack Down on Environmental Activists and Political Opponents

BAKU — The Azerbaijani government is using COP29 to crack down on environmental activists and other political opponents, according to human rights groups, the BBC reports.

This is the third year in a row a country hosting the climate summit has been accused of oppression and curtailing the legal right to protest.

Climate Action Network, a group of nearly 2,000 climate groups, told BBC News the protection of civil society is crucial if countries want to see progress on climate change.

The Azerbaijani government rejects the claims and says the government holds no political prisoners.

Global leaders are currently meeting in Azerbaijan to discuss solutions to a warming planet. But rights organisations have called for a review of how countries are selected to host the climate summit after what they say is a worrying increase in the number of environmental prisoners of conscience in Azerbaijan.

Natalia Nozadze from Amnesty International told BBC News that since Azerbaijan was announced as the host country for COP29 in November last year it has become harder to oppose the government.

“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in arrests and clamp down on all issues that the government may perceive critical or contrary to its political agenda,” she said.

For the first time since the early 2000s the number of political prisoners – including journalists, environmental activists and political opponents – has reached more than 300, according to The Union “For Freedom of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan”.