Politics

The Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg condemns the sanctions applied by Azerbaijan

Considering the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg:

- Resolution 2527, adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on January 24, 2024, highlighting the concerns raised about the legality and appropriateness of these powers,

- The decision was taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan on August 26, 2024, to declare 76 PACE deputies, including Luxembourg deputies Octavi Moder and Yves Kruchten, as undesirable,

- The joint strong condemnation of Luxembourg and the 13 member states of the Council of Europe against the measure applied to democratically elected deputies and a clear call for its repeal.

- The conclusions of the OSCE observation mission state that the extraordinary presidential elections held in Azerbaijan on February 7, 2024, took place in an environment of limited and critical vote pressure, without significant political alternatives.

- The resolution of the European Parliament of October 24, 2024, which indicates the strengthening of pressure by the Azerbaijani authorities against civil society, activists, political opposition and independent media, creating an atmosphere of fear,

- Reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, according to which about 300 people are currently illegally imprisoned in Azerbaijan for political reasons.

Reminding

- Previously adopted resolutions regarding Azerbaijan, Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh,

- Open dialogue with civil society and non-governmental organizations is essential to ensure their freedom of activity.

Condemns

- Sanctions applied by the authorities of Azerbaijan, which are directed against the freedom of speech of MPs and representatives of civil society,

- Arbitrary imprisonment against civil society, journalists, and other critics.

Demands

- Immediately and unconditionally release all illegally imprisoned persons,

- Eliminate all restrictions that hinder the free movement of democratically elected representatives.

Assigns

- To the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies to officially transfer this text to the Speaker of the Milli Mejlis of Azerbaijan as a sign of commitment to parliamentary dialogue and diplomacy,

- To submit a proposal for emergency discussion to the Luxembourg delegation in the PACE at the session to be held on November 28-29, 2024,

- Luxembourg MPs to use all opportunities of parliamentary diplomacy to support independent civil society and the right to peaceful assembly.

Confirm again:

- It is committed to protecting democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, putting them at the center of bilateral and multilateral relations with Azerbaijan.