Forward of subsequent month's COP29 local weather summit in Baku, States should put strain on the Azerbaijani authorities to finish their crackdown on civil society, launch these detained solely for peacefully exercising their proper to freedom of expression, and be certain that Members, together with activists and journalists, will be capable to take part freely and absolutely within the occasion, Amnesty Worldwide stated as we speak.
Since Azerbaijan was introduced as host of COP29 final December, authorities have intensified their crackdown on the rights to freedom of expression, affiliation and peaceable meeting. Unbiased civil society organizations have been shut down and critics have been jailed or pressured into exile on politically motivated fees, a stark echo of earlier crackdowns documented by Amnesty Worldwide in reference to different main worldwide occasions in Azerbaijan, together with the 2012 Eurovision Track Contest and the 2015 European Video games.
“Azerbaijan is internet hosting a world convention on local weather justice whereas actively undermining the mainstays of local weather activism – suppressing all types of essential expression and protests and dismantling native civil society. Azerbaijani authorities have jailed lots of of individuals on politically motivated fees as a result of they dared to talk out. The record consists of anti-government journalists, activists and human rights defenders who proceed to be arbitrarily detained, in violation of due course of and with out ensures of truthful trials,” stated Agnès Callamard, Secretary Basic of Amnesty Worldwide.
“The authorities additionally perform reprisals towards the family of dissidents and enact repressive legal guidelines to hinder the work of NGOs and media. The Azerbaijani authorities’s try to cover its abysmal human rights report behind a worldwide local weather summit is blatant greenwashing.”
Azerbaijan is internet hosting a world convention on local weather justice whereas actively undermining the mainstays of local weather activism – suppressing all types of essential expression and protests and dismantling native civil society.
Agnès Callamard, Secretary Basic of Amnesty Worldwide
Azerbaijani human rights defenders estimate that round 300 individuals stay imprisoned on politically motivated fees. These embrace human rights defenders, journalists, in addition to environmental, political and different activists who’re prosecuted on trumped-up and/or politically motivated fees in retaliation for his or her criticism of the authorities. For instance, outstanding human rights defender and local weather activist Anar Mammadli has been in custody since April 30, 2024 on false fees of conspiring to import unlawful international foreign money into the nation.
Economist and political activist Gubad Ibadoghlu was positioned beneath home arrest on April 22, 2024 after 274 days in detention. The opposition activist Tofig Yagublu has been in custody since December 15, 2023 on flimsy fraud and forgery allegations. The detainees additionally embrace: Ulvi Hasanli, Ilhamiz Guliyev, Mahamad Kekelov, Sevinj Vagifgyzy, Elnara Gasimova, Nargiz Absalamova, Hafiz Babali, Imran Aliyev, Shamo Eminov, Teymur Karimov, Arshad Ibrahimov, Ibrahim Humbatov, Alasgar Mammadli, Mushfig Jabbar, Akif Gubanov , Ruslan Izzatli, Ramil Babayev Ali Zeynalov, Afiaddin Mammadov and Bakhtiyar Hajiyev.
Menace of reprisals after COP29 highlight fades
Amnesty Worldwide fears that any critics who want to voice their dissent within the run-up to or throughout COP29 face the danger of great reprisals, significantly after the convention, which takes place from November 11 to 22, when the nation will not be within the highlight .
“We urge each delegation attending COP29 to induce the Azerbaijani authorities to finish its crackdown on civil society, make sure the rights to freedom of expression, affiliation and peaceable meeting all through the convention and past to take significant motion to reverse the deterioration of human rights within the nation. “Delegates ought to use each alternative to induce the Azerbaijani authorities to cease the reprisals towards human rights defenders, activists, journalists and authorities critics and to instantly launch all those that have been arbitrarily detained in retaliation for his or her human rights work and dissenting views,” stated Agnès Callamard .
Amnesty Worldwide will proceed to watch the Azerbaijani authorities' monitoring of the protests, their dealing with and any reprisals towards environmental activists and human rights defenders earlier than, throughout and after COP29.
Issues for the protection of individuals are compounded by the shortage of human rights protections and transparency concerning earlier Host Nation Agreements (HCAs). The COP29 HCA ought to embrace such safeguards and be printed promptly after signing.
“It’s of nice concern that the Host Nation Settlement has not but been made obtainable, leaving individuals unaware of whether or not the UNFCCC Secretariat has acquired a assure that each one elementary human rights ideas, together with transparency and freedom of expression, affiliation and peacefulness Freedom of meeting shall be protected.” throughout COP29. The settlement have to be made public instantly as this opacity has a chilling impact on the participation of observers. These safeguards are important to make sure there is no such thing as a repeat of the dire state of affairs throughout final yr's summit, when UAE authorities started prosecuting dozens of dissidents, together with human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience, in sham mass trials that confirmed a wide ranging disregard for the confirmed human rights. stated Agnes Callamard.
Azerbaijani authorities have jailed lots of of individuals on politically motivated fees as a result of they dared to talk out.
Agnes Callamard
Amnesty Worldwide has documented that there have been restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceable meeting at earlier COP local weather summits, together with in Poland, Spain, the UK, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Amnesty Worldwide has additionally recorded critical violations of those and different rights in Azerbaijan, elevating issues concerning the security of individuals at this yr's COP.
“Until the Azerbaijani authorities drastically change their repressive method, civil society organizations, impartial media and activists won’t be able to freely specific their essential views or take part in COP29 in a significant and efficient manner. This might severely undermine the method and have an effect on the end result of the convention. To have a really impactful affect, it have to be a discussion board for the free alternate of opinions and concepts – not just for state representatives, but in addition for the impartial citizen actors who’re the driving pressure for local weather justice and human rights on the native and worldwide ranges . stated Agnes Callamard.
Background:
Azerbaijani authorities have confronted worldwide criticism over alleged torture and different ill-treatment of some authorities critics. In some instances, people whose well being deteriorates in jail are denied entry to acceptable well being care. As well as, family and relations of presidency critics have additionally been focused, whether or not via smear campaigns or by having their property frozen via monetary sanctions.
Azerbaijan has additionally handed restrictive legal guidelines in recent times that overly regulate the work of media and NGOs, whereas peaceable protests have been severely restricted for over a decade.