MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Azerbaijan
10.5.2011
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure
Véronique De Keyser, Hannes Swoboda on behalf of the S&D Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0330/2011
B7‑0333/2011
European Parliament resolution on Azerbaijan
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Azerbaijan and, in particular, that of 17 December 2009[1],
– having regard to its resolution of 7 April 2011 on Review of the European Neighbourhood Policy - Eastern Dimension[2],
– having regard to its resolution of 20 May 2010 on the Need for an EU Strategy for the South Caucasus[3],
– having regard to the resolution of 20 January 2011 on an EU Strategy for the Black Sea[4],
– having regard to the conclusions of the Eastern Partnership Foreign Ministers meeting of 13 December 2010,
– having regard to the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions of 26 July 2010 on the ENP,
– having regard to the Commission communication of 12 May 2010 entitled ‘Taking Stock of the European Neighbourhood Policy (COM(2010)0207),
– having regard to the Commission communication of 3 December 2008 on Eastern Partnership (COM(2008)0823),
– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1638/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 2006 laying down general provisions establishing a European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument,
– having regard to the European Court of Auditors Special Report No 13/2010, entitled ‘Is the new European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument successfully launched and achieving results in the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia)?’,
– having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas a wide-reaching clampdown on the freedom of expression and assembly is being carried out in Azerbaijan following the peaceful protests against the government on 11 March and 2 April 2011, whereas the clampdown includes arrests, harassment and intimidation of civil society activists, media professionals and opposition politicians in Azerbaijan,
B. whereas the cases of the activists Jabbar Savalan and Bakhtiyar Hajiev are of particular concern, whereas Mr. Savalan, a member of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party's (APFP) youth group, and Mr.Hajiyev, an activist and a former parliament candidate, were apparently targeted for using Facebook to call for demonstrations against the government, whereas Mr.Savalan was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for allegedly possessing drugs, whereas Mr.Hajiev was arrested on 4 March 2011 after calling on Facebook for demonstrations against the government and now faces two years in jail for allegedly dodging military service, whereas serious doubts exist as regards the fairness of trials of Mr.Savalan and Mr.Hajiyev,
C. whereas Azerbaijan is actively participating in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and the Eastern Partnership and is committed to respecting democracy, human rights and the rule of law, which are core values of these two initiatives,
D. whereas, in September 2009, the Council decided to enhance relations between the EU and the three countries of the South Caucasus and invited the Commission to prepare draft negotiating directives for new agreements replacing the existing Partnership and Cooperation Agreements, which are due to expire soon,
E. whereas the political climate has deteriorated in recent years – in spite of the adoption of the ENP Action Plan,
1. Deplores the arrest of 174 people prior to, and during, the anti-government protests of 2 April 2011 in Baku; calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to allow peaceful protest as well as freedom of assembly, which are central tenants of an open and democratic society; deplores the physical violence used against protesters;
2. Calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to release Mr.Savalan and Mr.Hajiyev and to drop the charges against them; calls on the Government of Azerbaijan to respect the international conventions that it has ratified by respecting freedom of expression;
3. Deplores the use of closed trials against many of the arrested protesters despite the Azerbaijani Civil Procedures Code saying that hearings on administrative offences should be open to the public; considers that trials must be open for them to be free and fair;
4. Is concerned about the deterioration of media freedom in Azerbaijan; deplores the practice of arresting, prosecuting and convicting opposition journalists on various criminal charges, as demonstrated in the case of Eynulla Fatullayev, who remains in prison having lost an appeal on 25 January 2011 despite the ECHR's ruling against his conviction; calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to release Eynulla Fatullayev immediately;
5. Considers it unacceptable to harass opposition political parties, as demonstrated by the police raid on the offices of the opposition party, Musavat on 26 April 2011 in connection with the anti-government rally of 2 April 2011; urges that the Azerbaijani authorities pay special attention to the importance of allowing a free opposition without police interference;
6. Urges the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure the safety and freedom of civil-society activists, particularly those involved in non-governmental organisations, as well as journalists and the media, to take immediate steps to allow individuals to engage in peaceful, democratic activities and to allow such activities to be organised freely and without government interference;
7. Deplores the closure of the Human Rights House Azerbaijan on 10 March 2011 without any prior warning; considers it an unacceptable interference in its work by forcing the organisation to apply for prior authorisation from the government for it to be allowed to continue its important campaigning work;
8. Welcomes the progress of negotiations with Azerbaijan towards an Association Agreement; urges the Azerbaijani authorities to place human rights, democracy and the rule of law at the top of their agenda to ensure that negotiations can continue in a constructive way to the benefit of both the EU and Azerbaijan;
9. Calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to demonstrate sufficient progress in meeting the conditions for the upgrading of contractual relations – as stipulated in the Declaration by the European Council of 19-20 March 2009 on the Eastern Partnership – notably in the areas of democracy, the rule of law and human rights;
10. Welcomes the establishment of the new sub-committees of the EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Committee, which will strengthen the institutional framework for discussions in the field of justice, freedom and security and on respect for human rights and democracy, as well as employment and social affairs, public health, education and youth, culture, the information society, audio-visual policy, science and technology;
11. Welcomes the establishment of EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly which was constituted on 3 May 2011; highlights the role of EURONEST in deepening democracy, and democratic institutions and in reinforcing cooperation, solidarity and mutual trust between its members;
12. Calls for renewed efforts by Azerbaijan to implement in full during its final year the ENP Action Plan and on the Commission to continue to assist Azerbaijan in such efforts;
13. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the President and Parliament of Azerbaijan.
- [1] OJ C 286E, 22.10.2010, p. 27
- [2] P7_TA-PROV(2011)0153
- [3] P7_TA(2010)0193
- [4] P7_TA-PROV(2011)0025