2024 Human Rights Day - Climate Observers Partnership statement on situation in Azerbaijan

Today, as we commemorate Human Rights Day, we honor the enduring legacy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which has illuminated the path toward dignity, equality, and justice for over seven decades. Yet the situation in Azerbaijan serves as a sobering reminder of how far we have yet to go in realizing this vision.

Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP29 should have been an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to progress and inclusivity. Instead, it became a stage for exposing its deepening repression and systematic violations of fundamental freedoms. The government’s actions during COP29 have not only undermined the credibility of the conference but also revealed the extent to which it will go to silence, dissent and control narratives.

A primary target of this repression has been the media. Independent journalism is the cornerstone of accountability, but in Azerbaijan, it has faced relentless assault. The government’s attacks on multiple independent outlets reveal a systematic effort to dismantle critical reporting and eliminate dissent. Meydan TV, one of the last remaining platforms for independent journalism, has long been a thorn in the regime’s side. Its journalists have faced constant harassment since 2019, but last week 6 team members were arrested under fabricated charges of smuggling. These arrests, which took place in December 6th, 2023, exemplify the Azerbaijani government’s strategy of weaponizing the legal system to suppress media freedom. 

Similarly, Abzas Media, a prominent outlet known for its investigative reporting, has faced unrelenting pressure. Its journalists were detained in 2023 under accusations of smuggling. These charges, widely regarded as baseless, were a direct attempt to silence the outlet’s critical investigations into corruption and government mismanagement.

Other media platforms have not been spared. Toplum TV, another independent outlet, has seen its journalists arrested on dubious charges, while its founder, Alasgar Mammadli, was detained in March 2024. Kanal 13, an online news channel, has also been targeted, with its head, Aziz Orujov, facing charges related to illegal construction and smuggling.

The repression continues to Khural TV, whose editor-in-chief, Avaz Zeynalli, has been imprisoned since September 2022 on charges of bribery, and to Meclis.info, where founder Imran Aliyev was arrested in April 2024. These cases are not isolated but part of a broader strategy to stifle independent journalism and eliminate platforms that provide the Azerbaijani public with uncensored news. By dismantling these outlets, the government seeks to maintain control over the narrative and shield itself from accountability.

This silencing of voices extends beyond the media to activists and civil society organizations. The attacks against of the key platforms like the Institute for Democratic Initiatives and the Third Republic Platform in the lead-up to COP29 highlights the regime’s determination to prevent any independent participation in global discussions. Activists and researchers who sought to shed light on environmental issues or challenge the government’s policies were systematically excluded. Among them is Rufat Safarov, co-founder of the human rights organization “Defense Line.” Safarov, a recipient of the U.S. Department of State’s International Human Rights Defender Award, has played a critical role in documenting human rights abuses in Azerbaijan. His recent arrest, on charges widely regarded as politically motivated, is a direct attack on independent human rights advocacy. 

In addition to the ongoing suppression of independent media, young researchers and activists have also become primary targets of the regime. Among the most recent arrests are Iqbal Abilov, a Talysh scientist, and Bahruz Samedov, a researcher and freelance journalist. Abilov, a prominent figure in the study of Talysh culture and history, was detained on politically motivated charges. Samedov, who had publicly called for peace and dialogue with Armenia, was arrested in what appears to be an attempt to silence voices advocating for reconciliation and peace in the region.

The regime’s reach, however, does not stop at its borders. The murder of Vidadi Iskanderli, an exiled activist in France, exemplifies Azerbaijan’s use of transnational repression to silence critics abroad. Iskanderli fled Azerbaijan to escape persecution. From exile, he worked tirelessly to expose the regime’s abuses. His assassination in France sends a chilling warning to activists worldwide: the Azerbaijani government will go to any lengths to eliminate dissent. This act calls for urgent international action to protect exiled activists and asylum seekers from authoritarian retaliation.

The gendered nature of repression in Azerbaijan further illustrates the government’s authoritarian grip. Female journalists and activists, such as Sevinj Vagifqizi, Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova, who are well-known for their investigative reporting, face targeted harassment and violence. These women endure physical abuse, degrading treatment, and inhumane prison conditions designed to break their resolve. The deliberate targeting of women underscores the regime’s fear of their courage and their potential to mobilize societal change. 

COP29 could have been an opportunity for Azerbaijan to engage meaningfully with global environmental challenges. Instead, it exposed the regime’s disregard for both human rights and environmental justice. As Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention, has emphasized, Azerbaijan has obligations to ensure public participation, access to information, and the protection of environmental defenders. However, these principles were systematically violated during COP29. The Co-Founder of the Climate of Justice Initiative, prominent human rights defender and the 2014 Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize winner, Anar Mammadli was detained in April 2024, recently after his critical public speech in the United Nations Office in Geneva. By imprisoning activists and excluding civil society organizations, the Azerbaijani government undermined the inclusivity essential for genuine climate negotiations. This deliberate suppression tarnished the integrity of the conference and further highlighted the intersection between human rights and environmental accountability.

The international community cannot stand by in the face of these escalating abuses. 

We call on Azerbaijan to immediately release all political prisoners, including journalists, activists, human rights defenders and environmental defenders, and to cease its harassment of civil society. Global leaders must also take decisive action, including imposing sanctions on those responsible for these abuses and supporting independent journalists and activists facing repression both within Azerbaijan and abroad.

Human rights are not abstract ideals; they are the foundation of justice, dignity, and democracy. Azerbaijan’s actions during COP29 have demonstrated that the fight for these rights is as urgent as ever. 

On this Human Rights Day, let us stand with those who courageously defend these principles, ensuring that their voices are not silenced, and their sacrifices are not forgotten. Together, we must strive for a future where human rights are universally respected: our rights, our future, right now.