Azerbaijani delegation departs from PACE: Commentary from Baku
Azerbaijani delegation quits PACE
PACE did not ratify the powers of the Azerbaijani delegation in the organization. But even before this decision was made, the Azerbaijani delegation left PACE and made a sharp statement. According to political observer Haji Namazov, the reason for the conflict between the European structure and Azerbaijan was “inconsistent policy of European deputies and one-sided interpretation of facts”.
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On January 23 , the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) refrained from ratifying the authority of the Azerbaijani delegation within the organization. The decision saw 76 deputies voting in favor, 10 against, and four abstaining.
Statement by the Azerbaijani delegation
However, even prior to the parliamentary assembly’s decision, the Azerbaijani delegation issued a strong statement:
“The Republic of Azerbaijan is a proud, independent, sovereign, democratic, and multicultural country. Democracy is our conscious choice. Since gaining independence in 1991, we have made significant strides in advancing human rights and the rule of law in Azerbaijan.
The primary objective of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is to facilitate a platform for dialogue among parliamentarians from various countries, grounded in mutual respect and equal conditions.”
Having joined the Council of Europe in 2001, Azerbaijan sincerely hoped and expected that this organization, called to protect human rights and the rule of law, would help Azerbaijan to restore the rights of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis violated as a result of military aggression and occupation by Armenia of part of its internationally recognized territories. And, consequently, justice will be restored for the sake of achieving lasting peace in the region.
For nineteen years, from 2001 to 2020, PACE has never been able to hold the aggressor state Armenia accountable for its actions contrary to the basic values and principles of the Council of Europe. In particular, this concerns the blatant disregard for the human rights of Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons subjected to ethnic cleansing.
In the wake of Azerbaijan’s historic triumph over aggression, occupation, and violent separatism, along with the restoration of its territorial integrity and sovereignty, we are confronted with an orchestrated smear campaign. This campaign seeks to tarnish Azerbaijan’s image and cast a shadow on the republic’s accomplishments in redressing the long-denied justice to the Azerbaijani people.
For nearly twenty years, when the Azerbaijani delegation raised the issue of the dire consequences of the Armenian occupation, we were told that PACE was not the appropriate format for discussing conflict-related issues.
But now the same PACE and the same deputies say the exact opposite and do not miss a single opportunity to attack Azerbaijan. Selective interpretation of international law and different attitude towards issues related to territorial integrity and sovereignty of states demonstrate the cynical and hypocritical nature of the authors of this shameful proposal.
Unfortunately, PACE is being used as a platform to attack certain Member States. The basic principles of PACE have been used by certain biased groups to advance their narrow interests. Political corruption, discrimination, ethnic and religious hatred, double standards, arrogance, and chauvinism have become the prevailing practice in PACE.
We consider the initiative to challenge the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE as part of this vicious campaign. We also consider this initiative as a deliberate and unacceptable attempt of unjustified interference in the ongoing electoral process in Azerbaijan and a vivid example of insidious actions to undermine the functioning of democratic institutions in our country. The proposed refusal to ratify the credentials of our delegation will be a serious blow to the credibility and impartiality of the Council of Europe as a whole, and the responsibility for its serious and irreversible consequences will be fully borne by its initiators.
No one in the world, including those sitting in this hall, can speak to Azerbaijan in the language of threats and blackmail. Never in the history of PACE has this organization behaved in such a shameful way.
In view of the unbearable atmosphere of racism, Azerbaijanophobia and Islamophobia in PACE, the delegation of Azerbaijan decides to terminate its interaction and presence in PACE until further notice.”
After reading out the statement, the delegation left the hall.
Commentary
JAMnews asked political observer Haji Namazov for comments on the incident.
According to the expert, the reason for the conflict between the European structure and Azerbaijan was “the inconsistent policy of European deputies and one-sided interpretation of facts”:
“Europe behaves like an uneducated reader, who is satisfied with only a superficial study of the latest news, without delving into the essence and causes of events.
Azerbaijan and Armenia were simultaneously admitted to the Council of Europe in 2001. During 19 years before the de-occupation of its own territories by Azerbaijan, the issue of illegality of Armenia’s actions against the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan was never raised in PACE.
Please note: Armenia’s Constitution contains a clause on support for the separatist regime in a neighboring member state of the Council of Europe. This country has been openly financing this very regime for decades. The PACE has always turned a blind eye to this.
But when Azerbaijan established a checkpoint on its own territory, on the border with a neighboring country, Europe became indignant. No one even began to look into the reasons for what happened. The fact that weapons were brought to Azerbaijan through this border, Azerbaijan’s minerals were openly exploited and exported for sale to Armenia did not bother anyone, but it did bother the fact that the country was trying to protect its borders and natural resources.
I draw attention to the fact that even the protest layers of society in Azerbaijan assess the PACE decision negatively. Because the reasons for not ratifying the powers of the Azerbaijani delegation are mostly unfair.
If the assembly were limited to the human rights situation in Azerbaijan, this would be understandable. There are big problems with freedom of speech and fundamental human rights in Azerbaijan. But this thesis is only one of many frankly unjustified claims against the country.
Have you ever heard that during 19 years, from 2001 to 2020, someone from the Council of Europe tried to monitor the preservation of Azerbaijan’s cultural values in the occupied territories? Not to mention the preservation of entire towns and villages that have been razed to the ground. No, there was not even a hint of this, despite Azerbaijan’s repeated appeals to international structures. And here, you see, PACE took offense at the non-admission of its representative to Karabakh.
There is not a single piece of evidence of forced resettlement of Armenians from Karabakh. Armenians left voluntarily, having expressed their unwillingness to live under the laws of that state. Who would think of punishing a country for someone leaving it of his own free will? After all, official Baku urged Karabakh Armenians to stay in their homes by all means – radio, distribution of leaflets, guaranteed their safety. But Europe sees it all in a completely different way, in a distorted form.
What will happen next? Probably Azerbaijan will leave the Council of Europe, the country will leave the jurisdiction of the ECHR. This has already been mentioned in the publications of pro-government media. This does not bode well for ordinary citizens of Azerbaijan. And who is to blame for what has happened, if not Europe, which instead of justly solving problems and helping the democratization process, simply decided to push away an entire country?”
