The central office of the ARF Bureau of Armenian Affairs issued a message: "At the plenary session of December 19, with 434 votes in favor, 30 against, and 89 abstentions, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the continuous pressure on civil society and independent media in Azerbaijan."
This vote was preceded by a parliamentary discussion on the same topic on December 18.
Members of the European Parliament strongly condemn the Aliyev regime's crackdown on press freedom and dissent, calling on the EU executive to impose targeted sanctions against Azerbaijani officials who violate human rights. The resolution also proposes to suspend the strategic partnership in the energy sector in 2022. the memorandum of understanding.
In the resolution, the parliamentarians claim that Azerbaijan should "unconditionally release the human rights defenders, journalists, civil and political figures arrested for political reasons, eliminate all charges against them."
The European Parliament has strongly condemned the ongoing pressures on civil society, independent media and political opposition in Azerbaijan. The resolution highlights the escalating repression since 2023, particularly intensified around the COP29 summit, and calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners.
The resolution also highlights the regular violation of human rights of prisoners, including inhuman conditions of detention, torture and targeted harassment of female political prisoners.
The important thing is that the resolution mentions 23 Armenian prisoners, including the former leaders of the unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, calling for their immediate release, along with all the country's political prisoners. During the parliamentary discussion on December 18, several parliamentarians raised the issue of Armenian hostages, as well as the policy of aggression and violation of human rights against the native Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.
In that context, MP Bert-Jan Ruisen emphasized the "change of approach" of the European Parliament and the expansion of sanctions against Azerbaijan, particularly referring to the forced deportation of Armenians. Another parliamentarian, Marina Mesure, stated.
"human rights are systematically violated, Azerbaijan is one of the worst countries when it comes to freedom of the press, Human Rights Watch has documented torture and degrading treatment of prisoners detained after the operation in Nagorno-Karabakh."
The parliamentarian condemned "the policy of repression against the Armenian neighbors".
Commenting on the resolution, Gaspar Karapetyan, the president of the European office of the ARF Armenian Dat, noted. "This resolution underlines the need for the EU executive to take comprehensive and effective measures to deter the Aliyev regime from its policies of repression and injustice.
The increasing repression against opposition figures and journalists and the inhumane conditions in which political prisoners are detained, including the former leaders of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and Armenians imprisoned in other false cases, represent a violation of the fundamental principles and values of the European Union.
The ARF Europe Committee for Armenian Affairs is committed to ensuring that these values are protected, and we will continue to emphasize the international principles of press freedom, justice and human rights in our actions."
