Ahead of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Budapest on November 6, 2024, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and partner organizations issued a strong call urging European leaders to address Azerbaijan’s worsening human rights and press freedom crisis. With the Azerbaijani government tightening its grip on civil society, journalists, and activists, the statement demands international action to end the ongoing crackdown.
Following Azerbaijan’s presidential election in February and parliamentary election in September, the government has intensified its repression. Independent media outlets have been dismantled, environmental defenders harassed, and human rights organizations systematically targeted. Dozens of civil society leaders are now behind bars on politically motivated charges, many denied fair trial rights and adequate medical care. The repression has extended to lawyers and academics, with legal institutions used to silence dissent.
A central figure in the campaign is Anar Mammadli, a respected human rights defender and recipient of the 2014 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. Mammadli was detained in April 2024 after his organization criticized Azerbaijan’s election process and launched a climate justice initiative ahead of COP29, set to be hosted in Baku. His arrest, widely condemned by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, exemplifies the regime’s intolerance for independent civic action.
FIDH and its partners are calling on EPC participants to confront Azerbaijani authorities directly during bilateral talks and in public statements. They are demanding the immediate release of all political prisoners, including journalists, and the repeal of laws used to criminalize civic engagement. The groups stress that the Azerbaijani government must align its legislation with international human rights standards and Council of Europe commitments.
With Baku preparing to host COP29, the international spotlight offers a rare chance to demand accountability. FIDH warns that remaining silent in the face of Azerbaijan’s crackdown would amount to complicity. Press freedom, civic space, and democratic participation are not privileges—they are rights. The EPC summit must not ignore the brutal cost of repression in Azerbaijan or allow a climate summit to overshadow the suffocation of those fighting to defend their country’s democratic future.
