On Sept. 11, following the meeting of the Council of Ministers in Strasbourg, the EU delegation in the Council of Europe adopted a statement, which reads as follows: “The EU takes note of the public statement concerning Azerbaijan adopted at the 114th plenary meeting (July 2024) of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT). We regret the persistent lack of cooperation by the Azerbaijani authorities with the CPT and call on the Azerbaijani authorities to resume a constructive dialogue with the Committee.
We call on the Azerbaijani authorities to address the issues raised in the Committee’s statement in line with their international commitments, including those to which Azerbaijan, as a member of the Council of Europe, has subscribed.
The EU is concerned about the latest detentions in Azerbaijan, which add to the worrying trend of detentions of independent journalists, human rights defenders and civil society representatives since last year.
We call on Azerbaijan to ensure transparency and due process, as well as dignified and safe conditions for all those detained, including their full access to health and independent legal services, and to address the serious substantive issues concerning torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
The European Union is committed to continuing its dialogue with Azerbaijan on all key areas of our cooperation, including human rights and the rule of law, in line with our common international commitments.”
