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Human rights in the South Caucasus– Update as of 01/10/2024

The files we follow: Armenia-Azerbaijan relations; Georgia between Russian influence and Western aspirations; Georgia/Abkhazia and South Ossetia conflict; South Caucasian energy, trade and transport issues; Human rights in the South Caucasus.

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Azerbaijan: early parliamentary elections and increased repression 

Seven months after the re-election of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for a fifth term, early parliamentary elections were held in Azerbaijan on September 1, against a backdrop of socio-economic difficulties for the population and intensified repression in 2024. Unsurprisingly, the ruling party (New Azerbaijan Party) secured an absolute majority with 68 out of 125 seats. According to official results reported by Turan.az, 13 other seats were won by pro-government candidates and 44 seats by so-called “independent” parties known to support the government. Voter turnout was 37.3%.

The OSCE observation mission did not highlight any democratic progress in its September 2 report: “Against the background of continued repression of dissenting voices, the campaign was barely visible, and efforts were not made to engage citizens or enable them to participate without fear of retribution”. To bring forward the elections initially scheduled for November, the Azerbaijani president dismissed Parliament on June 28. He explained that he wanted to avoid them overlapping with COP29, which is expected to take place in Baku between November 11 and 22. Heavily criticized by the opposition, this decision reflects the executive branch’s grip on institutional processes and could be part of a broader strategy aimed at distancing the population from the country’s political life.

In a letter dated September 18, several human rights organizations, including the International Federation for Human Rights (IFHR), alerted the new Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, to the worsening repression in the country following the presidential elections, reporting “increased pressure on the legal profession, […] on academics and researchers” as well as on youth. According to several local media outlets (Meydan.TV, Turan.az), academic Bahruz Samadov was arrested and placed in pre-trial detention on August 21. Accused of “high treason,” he faces up to twenty years in prison. A pacifist activist, Bahruz Samadov is known for his support of Armenian-Azerbaijani dialogue. One year after the military operation that allowed Azerbaijan to regain full control of the former separatist enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev seeks to silence any criticism that could undermine how he capitalizes on the swift military victory of September 2023. [To explore further, see: Human Rights in South Caucasus – Update as of 12/02/24]

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