On Monday 18 November, the Advisory Committee of the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities announced the publication of an opinion on Azerbaijan in which it examines – for the first time – the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
On the same day, the Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, published a letter sent on 4 November to the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliev, calling for the release of Azerbaijani citizens imprisoned for exercising their freedom of expression.
In its opinion on the protection of minorities, the Advisory Committee welcomes Azerbaijan’s multiculturalism policy, but points out that it is not sufficient to guarantee rights.
At issue are the restrictions imposed on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association that affect people belonging to national minorities.
With regard to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian enclave controlled by Azerbaijan since September 2023 (see EUROPE 13253/28), the Advisory Committee “urges” the authorities to create the political, legal and practical conditions for the safe return of the 100,000 Armenians who left the area after the reopening of the Latchine corridor.
A specific system for dealing with property issues and procedures for inventorying, protecting and preserving all Armenian religious and cultural sites and objects are also called for.
“All relevant authorities, including at the highest political level, should clearly recognise the historical contribution of ethnic Armenians to the cultural heritage of Karabakh and guarantee the protection of cultural and religious rights of ethnic Armenians from Karabakh, including those who are now in refuge abroad”, say the Council of Europe experts.
In his letter to President Aliev, Mr O’Flaherty calls for the release of human rights defenders, journalists and activists.
He also calls for effective investigations into allegations of their ill-treatment and asks the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that “all laws and practices in connection with freedoms of association, assembly and expression and the situation of human rights defenders, journalists and civil society activists in the country comply with relevant Council of Europe human rights standards, including by fully implementing the relevant judgments of the European Court of Human Rights”.
See the Advisory Committee’s opinion: https://aeur.eu/f/edi
See the Commissioner’s letter: https://aeur.eu/f/edh (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)