Azerbaijan's Delegation Suspended from PACE for at Least One Year: Ruben Rubinyan

Minutes ago, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) voted to not ratify the powers of the Azerbaijani delegation. Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and head of the NSC delegation Ruben Rubinyan announced this on his Facebook page.

“With this decision, the Azerbaijani delegation has been removed from PACE for at least one year, and it may only return if it fulfills its statutory obligations during this period. The resolution adopted cites the June 2023 resolution on ‘Ensuring Free and Safe Access through the Lachin Corridor’, in which the Assembly confirmed the absence of free and safe movement through the Lachin Corridor, shocked by the fact that the Azerbaijani leadership has not recognized the serious humanitarian and human rights consequences resulting from the situation that has persisted for nearly ten months,” Rubinyan stated.

He noted that the Assembly expresses deep regret that during the fact-finding mission concerning the Lachin Corridor, the PACE rapporteur was unable to travel to the Lachin Corridor.

The Assembly also mentions the October 2023 resolution on ‘The Humanitarian Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh’, which condemned Azerbaijan's military operations in September 2023, leading to the flight of the entire Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, raising suspicions of ethnic cleansing.

In this resolution, the Assembly emphasized that, in the absence of any change regarding Azerbaijan’s failure to fulfill its statutory obligations, it would not ratify the Azerbaijani delegation’s powers in January.

The Assembly notes that after more than 20 years of joining the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan has not fulfilled the fundamental obligations arising from its membership in the organization. There are serious concerns regarding Azerbaijan’s ability to hold free and fair elections, the separation of powers, the relative weakness of the legislative authority compared to the executive, the independence of the judiciary, and the protection of human rights.

The Assembly expresses regret that it was not invited to observe the upcoming presidential elections, despite Azerbaijan's obligation to send an invitation as a monitored country.

It is also concerned that the co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee have not been allowed to meet with individuals charged with political motives or arrested,” he wrote.

It should be noted that with a vote of 76 in favor, 10 against, and 4 abstentions, the PACE plenary session decided not to ratify the powers of the Azerbaijani delegation. The Azerbaijani delegation will be deprived of the right to participate in PACE activities until January 2025.