Issue of excluding Azerbaijan from PACE becoming increasingly relevant - Alexander Zinker
ArmInfo. The issue of excluding Azerbaijan from the Council of Europe is becoming increasingly relevant, stated director of the Institute of Eastern Europe and the CIS in Israel, political scientist Alexander Zinker:
The expert drew attention to the fact that recently the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has been actively discussing the possibility of introducing new sanctions against Azerbaijan, up to and including its exclusion from the organization.
At the same time, he recalled that tensions between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe began to mount back in early 2024, when the Azerbaijani authorities refused to invite PACE observers to the presidential elections, despite their obligations to the organization.
Zinker believes that this was a serious violation of the rules, especially considering that Azerbaijan, as a member of the Council of Europe, is under constant monitoring. "In response to this, PACE threatened political sanctions in January 2024, but ultimately refused to confirm the powers of Azerbaijani MPs for 2024. The situation became even more aggravated in August, when the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry announced the introduction of sanctions against all European MPs who supported measures against Baku. This decision caused outrage among European parliamentarians and became an important turning point in the development of the conflict," the political scientist noted.
At the same time, he noted that at the PACE session held in October 2024, the majority of deputies agreed that the situation in Azerbaijan was beyond the pale. Tsinker noted that representatives of four out of five PACE groups openly stated that Azerbaijan had crossed "red lines" and that further measures against this country should be even tougher.
"Only one group, which mainly includes supporters of the Azerbaijani government, spoke out in favor of continuing the dialogue.
The next turning point is expected to be the PACE session in January 2025, at which the process of legally excluding Azerbaijan from the Council of Europe may be launched. One of the key arguments in favor of exclusion is that the country under the leadership of Ilham Aliyev has long failed to meet democratic standards, and in recent years has lost even their minimal signs," the expert added. Tsinker is confident that the situation in Azerbaijan really does raise serious concerns among international observers, especially against the backdrop of the refusal to cooperate with PACE and other CE bodies, such as the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, and the human rights situation in the country continues to deteriorate.
At the same time, the political scientist believes that the massive violations in the recent parliamentary elections, including repressions against journalists and opposition members, violence against candidates and falsification of voting results, have only strengthened the resolve of European deputies to impose new sanctions against Baku.
"Representatives of many countries are confident that if the Council of Europe does not respond properly to Azerbaijan's behavior, this could lead to even more serious consequences. It is already obvious that the Azerbaijani leadership does not intend to change its position and is going to further aggravate relations with Europe.
Thus, the issue of excluding Azerbaijan from the Council of Europe is becoming increasingly urgent. The organization is facing a difficult choice: either it will take decisive measures, or its basic principles will be called into question. The decision is expected to be made in the coming months, but it is already clear that the Azerbaijani authorities do not see their future in this European structure," Tsinker concluded.