Azerbaijan/Armenia: Speech by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the EP plenary on the issues of human rights, international law and normalization of relations

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Opening remarks

Monsieur President, Honourable Members.

Today's debate is taking place less than three weeks before the beginning of the COP29 United Nations climate change conference in Baku. The conference will gather world leaders and the international climate community to advance on the global climate agenda. But it will also draw the world's attention to the conference's host country [Azerbaijan].

Our debate today is therefore very timely. COP29 is an opportunity for the Azerbaijani authorities to demonstrate the commitment to their international human rights obligations. It is an opportunity to reverse the worrying trend of the past years of an increasingly shrinking space for civil society, intensifying repression of independent media and dissenting voices, and the growing number of arbitrary arrests.

This house has drawn attention to a number of particularly unsettling cases, including the fate of Gubad Ibadoghlu, Ilhamiz Guliyev, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, Alasgar Mammadli and Anar Mammadli. There are more, many more, including since this summer, Bahruz Samadov, a young scholar and peace activist studying in Prague, who was arrested while visiting family in Azerbaijan.

Our position is clear: the government of Azerbaijan should release all those who have been detained for exercising their fundamental rights, including journalists, human rights defenders and political activists. Torture and ill-treatment are absolutely prohibited under international law, and any reports of abuses should be promptly and impartially investigated. The authorities must ensure due process, dignified treatment of all detainees and access to proper health care, in accordance with international standards. We in particular urge the government to lift Dr Ibadoghlu's travel ban without delay to allow him to access the medical treatment he needs abroad.

We also hope that the Azerbaijani government reconsiders the travel ban imposed on 76 Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) members, merely for how they voted in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. Azerbaijan's participation in the Council of Europe is in the fundamental interest of all Azerbaijanis and all of Europe.

COP29 offers the international community an opportunity to reiterate these messages. During his two recent visits to Baku, Commissioner [for Climate Action, Wopke] Hoekstra raised the human rights situation with the authorities and met with civil society representatives, including 2024 Sakharov prize finalist Dr Ibadoghlu.

COP29 is also a historic opportunity for peace. Azerbaijan and Armenia have never been so close to overcoming decades of conflict. The Conference will be a historic chance for Azerbaijan and Armenia to demonstrate to the world their commitment to peace, and to muster the political will to sign a peace agreement. As European Union, we continue to lend our full support to the normalisation process and we stand ready to mobilise the necessary resources to allow all sides to reap the benefits of a lasting and sustainable peace.

Azerbaijan faces important choices - both as regards the human rights situation in the country, and the peace process with its neighbour. We should keep our channels of communication open and use our relationship to promote human rights, peace and stability - in Azerbaijan and in the whole region.

Link to the video: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/plenary/en/vod.html?mode=unit&vodLanguage=EN&internalEPId=2017003233589&providerMeetingId=70e35ab2-7a00-4729-999e-08dcec1e6e13#

Closing remarks

Monsieur le President, Honourable Members,

This debate has shown that very strong attention on the human rights situation in Azerbaijan remains absolutely crucial.

As European Union, we are determined to use the momentum of COP29 - which has been, obviously, criticised, but now it is a fact that it will take place - to reiterate our expectations that Azerbaijan honours its international human rights obligations. Retaliation for exercising freedom of expression is a clear violation of international human rights law. All those arbitrarily detained should be released and must have full access to the medical care they need. It is thanks to this Parliament that these messages are passed loudly and clearly.

We have to reiterate our concern over the human rights situation in Azerbaijan as regards to freedom of expression, assembly and association, and democracy.

We also have to continue to appeal to Azerbaijan to facilitate international access to Karabakh, to allow for the independent monitoring of the situation on the ground, and especially to allow Karabakh-Armenians to [make use of] the right to a safe return.

It is true - yes, it has been mentioned indeed - that we have relationships with Azerbaijanis in the energy sector and a few other areas. But this - and I think that this should be very clear message also before the COP29 - that this does not and should not prevent us from strongly voicing our concern and condemnation. I think we all have heard these condemnations, and these concerns here. It has been unanimously expressed in this debate and this has to be fully taken into account.

We also condemn comments and actions taken by Azerbaijani authorities against some Member States and in particularly also in the case of the Republic of Cyprus.

Thank you very much.

Link to video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-262402