The Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan considers the European Parliament’s adoption on October 8, 2026, of a resolution on human rights and freedoms in Azerbaijan that is far from objective to be a biased political action against the country and firmly rejects the unfounded accusations based on false and fabricated information, the Milli Majlis Department of Press and Public Relations told APA.
It was noted that the targeted political line pursued by the European Parliament against Azerbaijan has taken on a more confrontational nature since the Second Karabakh War: “The numerous resolutions adopted by this organization in recent years, attempts to exert political pressure on our country, and calls for the imposition of sanctions should be regarded as the European Parliament’s failure to recognize the new geopolitical realities that emerged in the South Caucasus following Azerbaijan’s historic victory.
On the other hand, it is surprising that the European Parliament has not abandoned attempts to act as a supranational authority entitled to determine the scope of powers of the state bodies of a sovereign country, give instructions to its law enforcement and judicial bodies, and determine the political conditions of bilateral relations. Such conduct seriously calls into question the objectivity of the European Parliament’s approaches and demonstrates that it is not ready to build relations with Azerbaijan on the principles of equality of rights, mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs.
All this demonstrates the prevalence of Azerbaijanophobic, Turkophobic and Islamophobic sentiments within the organization. The fact that a number of members represented in the European Parliament represent the interests of lobbying groups rather than European voters points to their racist and chauvinistic position. The authors of the resolution are even prepared to endanger the European Union’s policy in the South Caucasus in order to achieve their dirty political objectives.
The situation within the European Parliament itself also raises serious questions. High-profile corruption investigations in recent years, including the bribery of members and unlawful influence on political decision-making, have raised issues before this organization that affect its political reputation and undermine confidence in established parliamentary procedures.
In this regard, a legitimate question arises: how convincing can the political and moral accusations and admonitions of an institution that itself must respond to serious challenges regarding transparency, integrity and independence in decision-making be? Before putting forward categorical demands to other states, the European Parliament should demonstrate consistency in applying its own standards and establish reliable safeguards against corruption and unlawful lobbying influence.
The European Parliament’s discriminatory approach to human rights issues also raises serious questions. At a time when resolutions are adopted concerning Azerbaijan, unequivocal demands are put forward and calls are made for sanctions, numerous problems remain in European countries themselves concerning the excessive use of force by law enforcement bodies, restrictions on the freedom of peaceful assembly and ensuring accountability for violations committed.
The scale of these problems is also confirmed by reports of international human rights organizations. In particular, cases of excessive use of force by police during demonstrations in a number of European countries have been documented.
The Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan believes that the European Parliament should pay greater attention to problems related to the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms in European Union member states, including police violence, compliance with the freedom of peaceful assembly, and accountability for unlawful actions by officials. The universality of human rights standards primarily requires their consistent and impartial application without political selectivity and double approaches.
Another matter of concern is that the European Parliament’s resolution in question was adopted at a time when the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia is being advanced, in circumstances where political responsibility and support for constructive dialogue are particularly important. It is clear that such unilateral initiatives and erroneous assessments make it more difficult to create an atmosphere of mutual trust and create additional obstacles to the normalization of interstate relations.
While Azerbaijan and Armenia are making efforts to overcome the years-long conflict, it is concerning that disruptive elements representing certain political forces in the European Parliament are again trying to create a hotbed of political and military tension. Real support for regional stability and the establishment of sustainable peace requires respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, support for direct dialogue and refraining from actions that could deepen mutual distrust.
The contradiction between the European Parliament’s call to restore cooperation with the Milli Majlis and its practice of adopting documents that cause sharp interparliamentary disagreements should also be specifically noted. Restoring trust requires not declarative calls but a real change in approaches, abandoning confrontational rhetoric and recognizing the equal nature of interaction between parliaments.
As for the unfounded claims contained in the resolution, Azerbaijan has always remained committed to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, ensuring the rule of law and the consistent implementation of the principles of a state governed by law. The establishment and free functioning of democratic institutions in our country, the creation of the main components of civil society and other factors demonstrate the determination and will of the Azerbaijani state to advance along the path of democratic development.
It is also regrettable that the European Parliament, which puts forward unfounded accusations against Azerbaijan concerning the protection of human rights and freedoms, always preferred to remain silent about the rights of more than 1 million Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons who were subjected to ethnic cleansing and acts of genocide during the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia, expelled from their native lands and deprived of all their rights and freedoms.
Another aspect of the issue is that it is unclear what logic lies behind referring to persons convicted by court decisions for committing specific criminal acts as ‘political prisoners’ or demanding the unconditional release of persons charged under the relevant articles of criminal legislation because there are reasonable suspicions that they committed such acts. No person or organization has the right to claim that a person’s position in society grants them immunity from prosecution.
The European Parliament should think not only about the political consequences of the decisions it adopts, but also about its responsibility before millions of citizens of European countries who have placed their trust in it. Citizens of European states are entitled to expect objectivity, principled positions and commitment to democratic values from their elected representatives, rather than initiatives linked to biased political considerations.
The Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan calls on the European Parliament to abandon confrontational rhetoric toward our country and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of our state. At the same time, the Azerbaijani parliament declares that no force can divert Azerbaijan from the path of democratic development.”
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