PACE refuses to ratify Azerbaijani delegation’s credentials due to human rights concerns
As Azerbaijan prepared for its presidential elections on 7th February 2024, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has resolved not to ratify the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation. PACE stated that Azerbaijan can only resume participation in the Assembly's work after addressing long-standing obligations and recommendations that stem from its membership in the regional human rights body.
According to the resolution and accompanying report, PACE's decision is driven by Azerbaijan's failure to uphold the rule of law, ensure the separation of powers, and protect fundamental freedoms, including those of journalists and human rights defenders. Azerbaijan has refused to cooperate with the rapporteur investigating threats to the lives and safety of these groups. In addition, Azerbaijan ranks among the top ten countries in terms of complaints lodged with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), reflecting widespread concern over its governance and human rights record.
The large number of political prisoners and the government's refusal to allow external monitoring delegations to assess their conditions further highlight the lack of political pluralism. PACE's decision comes amid growing fears about the conduct of the upcoming elections.
The OSCE has also raised alarms about the upcoming election, highlighting concerns about media freedom and political rights. According to the OSCE’s interim report, relayed by Meydan TV, while the government claims new laws aim to improve the environment for media and political entities, these regulations, in fact, restrict freedom of expression and association.
Freedom of association
Trade unionist sentenced to three years in prison
The cases of two civic activists detained in 2023 have resurfaced in Azerbaijani media. According to Turan News Agency, both activists are members of the Workers' Table Trade Union Federation, an alternative confederation of trade unions.
One activist, Elvin Mustafayev, was sentenced to three years in prison on 31st January 2024 on charges of drug trafficking and intends to appeal the court's decision.
The second activist, Aykhan Israfilov, has reported worsening health due to poor prison conditions. In response, authorities have stated they will investigate his claims.
Both activists maintain their innocence, arguing that their prosecutions are politically motivated due to their advocacy for workers' rights. The two were both detained in August 2023, in an apparent retaliation for their efforts to unionise food delivery workers and increase labour protections for those employed in this field. The chairman of the “Workers' Table” confederation, Afiaddin Mammadov, was detained shortly before them, and sentenced to 30 days’ imprisonment on charges of petty hooliganism and disobedience of a police order. As previously reported on the CIVICUS Monitor, Mammadov was allegedly tortured in detention and denied access to a lawyer.
Freedom of peaceful assembly
Police crack down on protest ahead of presidential elections
Turan News Agency reported that multiple people were detained at a protest on 22nd January 2024, sparked by Azerbaijani political émigré Tural Sadigly, currently based in Europe, who called for action via social media against the early elections called by President Ilham Aliyev. According to Turan, the police detained Sadigly's parents, before releasing them an hour later. Several other people were also removed from the site of the protest by police officers.
The authorities' swift action against the protests signals an increasingly repressive stance against public dissent, especially as the elections approach.
Freedom of expression
Further crackdown on the media: another journalist arrested on spurious charges
Teymur Karimov, head of the online outlet Kanal 11, was arrested by the Department for Combating Organised Crime on 11th December 2023. Karimov was initially reported missing after being unreachable to his relatives for over a day. However, representatives of the Interior Ministry confirmed the arrest, according to Meydan TV. The authorities have charged Karimov with extortion by threat, allegedly based on complaints from multiple individuals. Karimov has vehemently denied these accusations and Channel 11 claims that Karimov’s arrest is politically motivated, as he had reported critically on the protests by veterans in connection with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the government's harsh response to their protests.
Karimov is facing four months of pre-trial detention, during which the investigation will continue. If convicted, he faces a prison sentence of five to ten years. In a statement, Kanal 11 pointed out that six more journalists had been arrested since November 2023 and attributed the increasing repression to the upcoming presidential elections in February.