EU Parliament criticizes crackdown on dissent in COP29 host Azerbaijan October 26, 2024

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, makes a statement as she opens a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on October 7, 2024. [EPA-EFE/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON].

By AFP - Agence France Presse

EU Parliament criticizes crackdown on dissent in COP29 host Azerbaijan

The European Parliament on Thursday denounced Azerbaijan's crackdown on critical voices, saying it was “incompatible” with the country hosting the upcoming UN climate summit, COP29.

EU lawmakers also called on the 27-member European Union to reduce gas imports from the energy-rich and tightly controlled Caspian nation due to rights abuses in the country.

“The continuing human rights violations in Azerbaijan are incompatible with the country hosting the climate conference,” said the EU parliament.

Ruled with an iron fist by President Ilham Aliyev since 2003, Azerbaijan is accused of stifling dissent by persecuting political opponents, detaining activists, and stifling independent media.

But human rights groups say the repression has intensified as the country prepares to host COP29 in the capital, Baku, in November.

In a non-binding resolution adopted by 453 votes to 31 with 89 abstentions, EU lawmakers called on leaders of the 27-nation bloc to use the climate summit to pressure Baku over its poor rights record.

“Parliament also calls on the Baku government to cease all forms of repression inside and outside Azerbaijan, release all arbitrarily detained persons, and drop all politically motivated charges,” the parliament said in a statement.

The EU should also suspend a 2022 agreement on closer energy cooperation and end its “dependence on Azerbaijani gas exports,” it said.

Europe has looked to Baku as a key energy partner, dramatically increasing gas purchases since it cut gas imports from Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Separately, parliament speaker Roberta Metsola expressed concern about the health of jailed Azerbaijani activist Gubad Ibadoghlu.

“Ibadoghlu's state of health is deteriorating significantly,” Metsola told parliament, calling on the authorities to ‘drop all charges’ against the anti-corruption activist.

On Thursday, Ibadoghlu, who is under house arrest on charges of financial crimes that he denies, lost the Sakharov prize, the EU's highest rights award, for which he was one of the main contenders.

The prize went to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and her ally, former presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.

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