YEREVAN (Lurer/Public Radio of Armenia) — Ahead of the COP29 climate summit, Azerbaijan has banned several dozen Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) deputies from entering the country. Baku explained that those deputies voted in favor of limiting the powers of the Azerbaijani delegation at the PACE meeting.
On August 26, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan announced that 76 politicians from 26 European countries will be deprived of the right to enter the country. The decision was taken after the vote held at PACE in January, as a result of which in 2024 Azerbaijan has been deprived of the right to vote.
Social Democrat Frank Schwabe, the head of the German delegation to the PACE, stated that Azerbaijan did not fulfill its obligations to the PACE, Baku was also criticized for arresting activists and journalists in the fall 2023.
PACE cited the country’s failure to meet key commitments. The Assembly expressed serious concerns regarding Azerbaijan’s ability to conduct free and fair elections, the separation of powers, the weakness of its legislature in relation to the executive, the independence of the judiciary, and respect for human rights. This resolution was adopted with 76 votes in favor, 10 against, and 4 abstentions.
The Assembly also highlighted the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, noting that Azerbaijan’s leadership “did not acknowledge the very serious humanitarian and human rights consequences” resulting from the lack of free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor. The Assembly also recalled its condemnation of the September 2023 military operation, “which led to the flight of the entire Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and to allegations of ethnic cleansing.”
Schwabe submitted an application to participate in the COP29 as part of the German delegation, but he was informed that, like all the deputies who voted for the resolution in the PACE, he was declared a “personae non gratae” in Azerbaijan.
