International Organizations Urge PACE Not to Restore Azerbaijan’s Delegation Powers Without Conditions

BRUSSELS — International human rights organizations are calling on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) not to restore the powers of Azerbaijan’s delegation or to do so only under “clear conditions.”

In a letter addressed to PACE, ten international organizations argue that President Ilham Aliyev’s administration is not cooperating with international mechanisms, has failed to address systemic human rights violations, and has refused to collaborate with the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture over the past year.

The organizations behind the letter, including Freedom Now, the Human Rights House Foundation, and Human Rights Watch, emphasize that for Azerbaijan’s delegation to return to PACE, Baku must first release imprisoned civil activists, journalists, and human rights defenders without delay.

On January 24, 2024, PACE decided not to validate the credentials of Azerbaijan’s delegation, effectively suspending it from the assembly for at least one year. Azerbaijan has been a member of the Council of Europe since January 25, 2001.

PACE’s unprecedented decision was based on several reasons, including the blockade of the Lachin Corridor and its severe consequences.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev responded by claiming that a “biased and dirty campaign” had been launched against Azerbaijan within PACE.