Council of Europe Committee of Ministers calls on Azerbaijan to take steps to protect journalists

The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has urged Azerbaijan to protect journalists from attacks, threats and harassment linked to their work.

The Committee of Ministers adopted an interim resolution in the Khadija Ismayilova group of cases during its quarterly meeting to supervise the implementation of rulings from the European Court of Human Rights. These cases concern Azerbaijan’s failure to protect the rights to private life and freedom of expression of an investigative journalist, Khadija Ismayilova.

The Committee underlined the need to ensure that Ismayilova can carry out her work without harassment or hindrance. More generally, the Committee of Ministers urged Azerbaijan to put in place effective measures to protect journalists.

In addition, the Committee called for concrete steps to bring Azerbaijan’s Media Law into line with Council of Europe standards. The Committee of Ministers strongly invited the authorities to engage with the Council of Europe in order to achieve progress on these issues. The Committee asked Azerbaijan to submit an updated action plan by the end of June 2025.