MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Azerbaijan, violation of human rights and international law and relations with Armenia – B10-0129/2024

B10‑0129/2024

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Azerbaijan, violation of human rights and international law and relations with Armenia

(2024/2890(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to it previous resolutions on Armenia and Azerbaijan,

– having regard to the Charter of the United Nations and to the principles of international law,

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

– having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR),

– having regard to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the European Neighbourhood Policy and to the Eastern Partnership,

– having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Armenia, of the other part[1],

– having regard to the Comprehensive and enhanced Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Armenia, of the other part[2],

– having regard to the EU Country Roadmap for Engagement with Civil Society in Armenia for the period 2021-2027,

– having regard to the Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership in the Field of Energy signed between the EU and Azerbaijan on 18 July 2022,

– having regard to the need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, the Charter of Paris for a New Europe, and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions,

– having regard to the joint statement of 7 December 2023 of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan,

– having regard to the report of 10 May 2024 of the UN Committee against Torture on Azerbaijan,

– having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas a lasting and comprehensive peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan is essential for the security, stability and prosperity of the South Caucasus region;

B. whereas Azerbaijan’s aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh has resulted in significant human suffering, and Azerbaijani troops have committed ethnic cleansing and violence against the Armenian inhabitants of the region;

C. whereas, in the context of building confidence between the two countries, an agreement had been reached for the Republic of Armenia to support the Republic of Azerbaijan’s bid to host the 29th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by withdrawing its own candidacy; whereas this agreement provided for the Republic of Azerbaijan to release 32 Armenian military servicemen and the Republic of Armenia to release 2 Azerbaijani military servicemen;

D. whereas 23 prisoners of war are still being held captive in Azerbaijan charged with spurious crimes and without adequate legal representation;

E. whereas EU-Azerbaijan relations are based on the EU-Azerbaijan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in force since 1999;

F. whereas it has become clear that the gas deal signed between the Commission and Azerbaijan has given the Azerbaijani Government carte blanche to do as it pleases, knowing that the EU’s energy security is dependent on its will;

G. whereas the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, COP29, will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024;

H. whereas progress has been made in recent years towards closer cooperation between the EU and Armenia, including in areas such as trade, development and political dialogue; whereas the European Union is Armenia’s second largest trading partner and its largest development cooperation donor;

I. whereas Azerbaijan’s record in terms of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is still very negative and needs to be improved before the EU further deepens its political and energy partnership with the country;

J. whereas the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, stated on 15 August 2024 that in recent months she had witnessed an alarming wave of arrests and criminal cases against human rights defenders and journalists in Azerbaijan; whereas this statement concerns, among others, Anar Mammadli, Chair of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center, and Ulvi Hasanli, Sevinj Abbasova, Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova, Director, Editor-in-chief and journalists respectively of Abzas Media, an outlet dedicated to human rights issues and corruption investigations;

K. whereas Gubad Ibadoghlu, a political economist and opposition figure, was arrested by the Azerbaijani authorities in July 2023 and remained in detention until 22 April 2024, when he was transferred to house arrest; whereas his health has deteriorated significantly since his arrest, as a result of torture, inhumane detention conditions and refusal of adequate medical care, thus endangering his life;

L. whereas Ilhamiz Guliyev, a human rights defender, was arbitrarily arrested on 4 December 2023 on dubious accusations of drug trafficking after his whistleblowing testimony about police tampering with evidence against government critics; whereas he is facing up to 12 years in prison;

M. whereas the human rights of LGBTIQ people in Armenia and Azerbaijan are at best disregarded and at worst actively fought against by the government and state institutions; whereas, according to the 2024 Rainbow Map and Index of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association Europe, Azerbaijan scored 2 % in terms of its legal and policy practices; whereas this makes Azerbaijan the lowest-ranked of all the countries assessed;

N. whereas, in the International Court of Justice order of 7 December 2021, which ordered Azerbaijan to prevent and punish acts of vandalism and desecration against Armenian cultural heritage, serious allegations were made regarding the involvement of the Azerbaijani authorities in the destruction of cemeteries, churches and historical monuments in Nagorno-Karabakh; whereas the building of the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh was demolished by Azerbaijan on 3 March 2024;

O. whereas the EU’s position, as expressed in relevant resolutions, is clear in rejecting ‘any attempt to facilitate or assist in any way the international recognition of the secessionist entity in occupied Cyprus, including in relation to its alleged acceptance as an observer in the Organization of Turkic States (OTS)’; whereas Azerbaijan hosted the Informal Summit of the Heads of State of the OTS on 5-6 July 2024;

1. Underlines the importance of peace, stability and security in the South Caucasus for the region, for the EU and for the world; highlights that a lasting and comprehensive peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan is essential for the security, stability and prosperity of the South Caucasus region;

2. Calls upon the international community to support the peace process by providing diplomatic and economic assistance, by respecting and recognising the democratic will of the refugees of Nagorno-Karabakh and by encouraging all parties to fulfil their commitments under international law;

3. Reaffirms its commitment to the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, the Charter of Paris for a New Europe and United Nations Security Council resolutions, and calls for the full implementation of these principles in the resolution of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia;

4. Deplores the forced displacement of 100 000 ethnic Armenians, resulting in ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan;

5. Takes note of the agreement between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia to release 32 Armenian and 2 Azerbaijani military servicemen; calls for the release of the remaining 23 Armenian prisoners of war; considers that such actions can have a positive influence on normalising relations and concluding a peace treaty;

6. Urges the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to take steps to build trust and confidence between their communities, including by promoting people-to-people exchanges and educational programmes that foster reconciliation and understanding;

7. Strongly denounces the fact that the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has characterised Azerbaijan as a ‘trustworthy energy supplier’; reiterates its call for the Commission to immediately suspend the Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership in the Field of Energy between the EU and Azerbaijan;

8. Regrets statements from President Aliyev regarding the expansion of gas production to cover the increasing demand, including from European markets; considers that the acceleration of the Green Transition by the EU, while protecting the most vulnerable sections of society, can have the added benefit of diversifying its energy mix;

9. Expresses concern about the human rights situation in Azerbaijan; urges Azerbaijan to ensure due process and fair trials and to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners, human rights defenders and journalists who have been unfairly detained; stresses that any partnership agreements should be contingent upon respect for the rule of law and human rights;

10. Calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to strengthen the enforcement of labour laws and ensure that all workers, including migrant workers, are afforded their basic rights, including the right to fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to form and join trade unions without fear of retaliation; calls on the Azerbaijani Government to improve transparency in labour practices and to implement concrete measures to prevent and address labour abuses, including child labour;

11. Believes that the continued human rights abuses in Azerbaijan are incompatible with hosting COP29; further believes that Azerbaijan’s goal of increasing its gas production is totally incompatible with the global objective of phasing out fossil fuels set by the Parties to the UNFCCC; calls on the international community to use this opportunity to push Azerbaijan to take immediate and tangible action to address its human rights situation;

12. Deplores the destruction of Armenian cultural, religious and historical heritage since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, notably the razing to the ground of the building of the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh;

13. Reiterates that Azerbaijan must adhere to the principle of good neighbourly relations and respect international law, which includes the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states;

14. Rejects any attempt to facilitate or assist in any way the international recognition of the secessionist entity in occupied Cyprus, including in relation to its alleged acceptance as an observer in the Organization of Turkic States; encourages Azerbaijan to duly uphold respect for the principles of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states; deplores that Azerbaijan has ratified the amended Statute of the Organization of Turkic States, which would put into effect the decision to grant the secessionist entity observer status;

15. Takes note of the UN Committee against Torture’s report of 10 May 2024 on Azerbaijan; calls for further action by the Azerbaijani authorities on respecting human rights, especially in the areas of: harassment of human rights defenders and journalists; hate crimes, hate speech and discrimination; the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons; and gender-based and domestic violence;

16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan.