European Political Community Summit: an Opportunity to Demand Rights

Today, Wednesday 6 November 2024, a coalition of international and European human rights organisations urged leaders at the European Political Community Summit to address the deteriorating human rights situation in Azerbaijan. This summit, set for 7 November in Budapest, offers a critical chance for European leaders to demand justice and accountability from Azerbaijan’s government as it continues to stifle civil society under what the coalition calls a “climate of repression.” 

This year has seen a dramatic increase in repression, taking place against the backdrop of Azerbaijan’s presidential and parliamentary elections and ahead of the country hosting the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference. 

Almost all human rights defenders, independent civil society actors, journalists, and political activists have faced arrests, pre-trial detentions, and harassment, with nearly every independent media outlet shut down. The arrest of Anar Mammadli, a prominent human rights defender and co-founder of the Climate of Justice Initiative, exemplifies this crackdown. Anar Mammadli was detained after his organisation revealed preliminary findings on election conduct and has been subjected to fabricated charges in a clear attempt to silence him, his organisation, and the climate initiative he founded ahead of COP29. 

The organisations also highlighted the unjust detentions of other activists, including Famil Khalilov, a social media influencer with a disability who faces deplorable detention conditions; Bahruz Samadov, an academic outspoken on authoritarianism; and Gubad Ibadoghlu, a public finance expert currently under house arrest. They called on European leaders to demand the immediate release of these individuals, and others we have been campaigning for, and to push Azerbaijan to meet its human rights obligations as a member of the Council of Europe. 

The coalition urges summit participants to: 

• Advocate for the release of Anar Mammadli and all individuals detained for political reasons; 

• Press for a legislative overhaul to remove laws that criminalise human rights defenders and their activities; 

• Uphold the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, which previously condemned Azerbaijan’s use of criminal law to punish civil society leaders. 

This summit represents a crucial opportunity for European leaders to stand up for human rights and address the climate of repression and human rights crisis in Azerbaijan.