We call for the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience in Azerbaijan and ensure safe civic space in the country.

As the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference COP29 is set to be held in Azerbaijan in November 2024, the undersigned organizations, groups, and individuals regretfully acknowledge the deteriorating human rights situation in the host country which can negatively affect the credibility of COP29. 

We condemn the deliberate persecution of civil society activists, which undermines the rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly. These limitations pose a significant threat to the free flow of information needed to monitor climate change and develop credible climate action, as well as achieve inclusive and meaningful climate discussions at COP29, as they hinder free scientific discussions as well as the participation of diverse voices and stifle the essential contributions of civil society to the global climate agenda.

The responsibility for this crackdown lies with the current regime of the incumbent Aliyev, who has been in power for more than 21 years.

As a host country, Azerbaijan has obligations enshrined in international law, as highlighted by the UN Special Procedures: 

• The UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change, Elisa Morgera, in her scene-setting Report A/HRC/56/46, emphasizes that states have obligations, both individually and through international cooperation, to respect human rights in the development and implementation of international climate change law. 

• The UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Gina Romero, recalls that “Countries with serious limitations of human rights and freedom of assembly and association can not continue to be chosen as venues and hosts of conferences associated with UN Human Rights Treaties”. 

• The UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention, Michel Forst, highlights that, as a member of the Aarhus Convention, Azerbaijan must respect all its obligations concerning the rights to access environmental information, to public participation and effective remedies, as well as the protection of environmental defenders, as stated in Article 3.8 of the Convention.

• The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, expresses serious concernover the ongoing detention and prosecution of human rights defenders and journalists in Azerbaijan. 

The European Parliament in its resolution as of 25 April 2024, adopted in a procedure 2024/2698, recalls that civil society organizations currently list nearly 300 political prisoners in Azerbaijan and calls on the EU Commission to consider suspending the strategic partnership with Azerbaijan in the field of energy. It also reiterates its call for EU sanctions under its global human rights sanctions regime to be imposed on Azerbaijani officials who have committed serious human rights violations. 

Today, Azerbaijan ranks 164th out of 180 countries in the 2024 Press Freedom Index, published by the Reporters Without Borders. 

Considering how human rights are central to the discussion on climate change, we assert that the current situation in Azerbaijan is incompatible with the principles of openness, transparency, and inclusivity that are essential for effective climate discussions and negotiations. The suppression of independent voices in the country and the lack of free expression will also affect the Conference and compromise the integrity of the COP29 process, undermining the potential for achieving just and equitable outcomes.

We therefore call on the international community to take immediate and decisive action to address continuous human rights violations in Azerbaijan. 

We call on the government of Azerbaijan to:

• Release all people arrested exercising their fundamental human rights;

• Lift restrictions on independent media and ensure a safe environment for all civil society and trade union actors;

• Halt persecution of the democratic institutions and their representatives;

• Open land borders of Azerbaijan and guarantee the right to freedom of movement; 

• Ensure sustainable peace in the region;

• Uphold its binding obligations to respect human rights and freedoms in line with the standards of the Council of Europe, European Political Community, and OSCE;

• Ensure compliance with the norms of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the implementation of the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights; 

• Ensure a free, fair, and democratic electoral process in Azerbaijan;

• Ensure the right of Azerbaijani citizens to a healthy environment and reduce the impact of extractive industries on the climate  

• Guarantee free and safe participation in COP29 for all media representatives and civil society actors.

We stand in solidarity with the people of Azerbaijan and all those who strive to uphold human rights and environmental justice.

We believe that a climate conference cannot address environmental issues without upholding the values of human dignity, equality, and freedom.

 

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