Discussions concerning Azerbaijan are expected to continue during the Summer Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), taking place in Strasbourg, France, from June 22 to 26. The agenda includes issues related to human rights, democracy, freedom of expression, and civil society, while several parliamentarians are expected to deliver critical remarks regarding Azerbaijan.
Human rights defender and political analyst Ahmad Shahidov, who is following the session in Strasbourg, told Real Television that biased attitudes and double standards toward Azerbaijan continue within PACE. According to Shahidov, the current President of the Assembly, Petra Bayr, previously made an unauthorized visit to Azerbaijan’s formerly occupied Karabakh region, became known for her anti-Azerbaijani statements, and was subsequently included on Azerbaijan’s list of undesirable persons. Shahidov believes that anti-Azerbaijani tendencies within the Assembly have become more pronounced since Bayr assumed the presidency.
The human rights defender noted that strong criticism and debates targeting Azerbaijan are likely to continue in the coming months. In his view, the failure to demonstrate similar sensitivity during the decades-long occupation of Azerbaijani territories and the insufficient attention given to the rights of more than one million Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons raise serious questions about the Assembly’s objectivity.
Ahmad Shahidov also drew attention to the activities of certain opposition groups operating in Strasbourg. He stated that these groups distribute hundreds of leaflets and advocacy materials among European parliamentarians. According to Shahidov, these materials contain claims about human rights and democracy in Azerbaijan that do not reflect reality, and unfortunately some parliamentarians rely on such unverified information when making critical statements about Azerbaijan.
