Human Rights Under Threat: Climate Partnership Calls for Action at OSCE Warsaw Conference

The Climate Partnership members had the opportunity to attend the OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, which will run until October 11th. The event, organized by the 2024 OSCE Chairpersonship of Malta, with the support of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) aims to analyze, debate and address issues related to human rights and fundamental freedoms in plenary sessions and side events. In addition to OSCE members and institutions, participants include representatives of intergovernmental organizations, members of civil society and other experts in the field. Among them, the members of the Climate Partnership committed themselves to denounce the current situation in Azerbaijan regarding the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Particularly felt by the organization were issues related to the repression suffered by journalists and activists in the country, especially women, the restrictions on freedom of expression, the closure of Azerbaijan's borders and the resulting travel bans, as well as the lack of an independent judiciary and the psychological pressure exerted by state authorities on children. More specifically, the Climate Observers Partnership emphasized how the media and journalists in the country are not free, cannot express themselves freely. According to organization, women are the main victim of these repressions, which testifies the underscoring the gender discrepancy in the country. In fact, the level of repression suffered by women engaged in journalism, advocacy, politics and the defense of human rights and fundamental freedoms has reached alarming levels, to say the least. Exemplary of this is the case of Elnara Gasimova, a journalist for the independent investigative media outlet Abzas, who was arrested on political grounds. Even more concerning, as reiterated by the group are the conditions in which women are held. In fact, in the country, women are often denied access to hygiene products and basic medical care. Particularly alarming is also the practice of torture, which widespread in the country against political dissidents, activists, journalists, and human rights defenders, including military men. Army members are, in fact, quite often the target of torture. The figures are alarming and speak for themselves: 7 military men were killed under torture, 10 became disabled, many others are currently incarcerated and over 200 service men were torture by other military staff. Torture, as reported by members of the Climate Observer Partnership, is institutionalized and systematic in the country and directly controlled by the Office of the President of Azerbaijan. Testifying to this is the case of Fazil Gasimov, an economist who was arrested for political reasons and who, following his torture and unjust arrest, has been on a hunger strike since July, with alarming consequences for his health. Despite this, the practice and the widespread use of torture by institutional apparatus was denied by the Azerbaijani government. In addition to physical torture, the Azerbaijani authorities have been the authors of multiple cases of psychological pressure against children. As reported by members, the children of disabled activist Famil Khalilov, who was arrested for political reasons this year and is being held in precarious conditions, have been subjected to forms of psychological pressure by the authorities, in order to obtain information about their father and, in particular, his electronic devices. Concerns were also raised, due to the travel ban and border closures imposed in the country since March 2020 under a special quarantine law, not only on foreigners, but also on Azerbaijani citizens. This clear violation of international law and the right to freedom of movement, which prevents Azerbaijani citizens from being connected with the rest of the world, was admitted by President Aliyev in September to be implemented for reasons of national security and not because of threats related to COVID-19. Moreover, travel bans on dissident voices and human rights defenders are a widespread practice in the country, as a means of intimidation and pressure on civil society. As a result, dissidents and outspoken voices are unable to report the ongoing violations occurring in the country, as well as to share their experiences worldwide. This way, Azerbaijani citizens are not only unable to freely criticize the Aliyev regime in their country, but are also unable to leave it, and if they do, they face persecution beyond the borders of their country. This is what happened to Vidadi Iskenderli, a political dissident who lived in France for ten years to flee the repression of the Azerbaijani government. The activist was assassinated last week in his own home in the French town of Mulhouse. This case illustrates the risks faced by critical voices of the regime even beyond Azerbaijani borders. Therefore, the Climate Observers Partnership urged the international community to lauch an investigation, in order to shed light on Vidadi Iskenderli’s death. Moreover, as the OSCE and the Climate Observers Partnership have repeatedly pointed out, the Azerbaijani judicial system is at the root of all this. The absence of an independent legal framework in the country is a source of legitimacy for repressive measures against ethnic minorities, journalists, activists, human rights defenders and, more generally, critical voices of the plutocratic Aliyev regime. It was, in fact, the precarious legal framework that would have allowed the arrest and persecution of the Talish academic, Iqbal Abilov, who was subjected to an outrageous arrest, following his research on ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan, including the Talish. Abilov was accused, under Article 274 of the Azerbaijan Criminal Code of treason and ethnic hatred and is currently under house arrest. The judge in charge of dealing with his case was in fact appointed by President Aliyev. This appalling practice is very widespread in the country, and demonstrates the need to reform the judicial system in the country. As COP29 approaches, the members of the Climate Observers Partnership reiterated numerous times that the implementation of socio-political and judicial reforms in the country is crucial to ensure a credible global climate dialogue. The organizations emphasized, in particular, the importance of safeguarding human rights to protect journalists, activists, human rights defenders and civil society members from the grip that Aliyev government currently has on them. Therefore, the group repeatedly urged OSCE members to pressure and support reforms in Azerbaijan.

Sources:

https://www.osce.org/chairmanship/2024WHDC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtz_E9n42QY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJJmwnE9fX8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgSUnc0VYwM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEIUGW7aspw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa4OeltEI54

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb1PV9fabOo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6zz_660YXQ

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/artykul/3253426,warsaw-hosts-osce-human-rights-conference