24
Apr
2024
Watch
Azerbaijan, notably the repression of civil society and the cases of Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu and Ilhamiz Guliyev
Mr President, first, I want to thank all of my colleagues for their great cooperation on this important resolution. This urgent resolution proves that the European Parliament’s voice is strong and sound in defending human rights. Just one hour after the adoption of our plenary agenda on Monday, we received information that Dr Ibadoghlu had been released into house arrest. Great. However, this alone is not sufficient. I am honoured to welcome Zhala, his daughter, here in the European Parliament. She has been doing a tremendous job in raising awareness in international support for her father and other political prisoners is Azerbaijan. Thank you, Zhala, and welcome. I hope you will meet your father soon, once the travel ban has been lifted. This isn’t the first time we have demanded the release and a better condition and better medical care for Dr Ibadoghlu, whose life is at risk due to a lack of medical attention. He needs urgent surgery abroad, which is still not possible due to the travel ban. We call for the immediate release of all other political prisoners, such as Ilhamiz Guliyev and hundreds of others, including ethnic Armenian in Baku. To stress our point, we call again on the Commission to consider suspending the strategic partnership with Azerbaijan in the energy sector. We know how sensitive this issue is, but we are convinced that the EU cannot have strong relations with a country that is continuously violating human rights. Any further partnership agreements must be conditioned on the release of all political prisoners and the improvement of the overall human rights situation in the country. Thank you for supporting this important resolution.