Statement by ASIMKOM (Coordination Centre of the Azerbaijani Political Exiles) on the Occasion of the 25th Anniversary of Azerbaijan’s Accession to the Council of Europe and the Initiation of a Complementary Joint Procedure

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s accession to the Council of Europe—a milestone that once represented a solemn pledge to uphold democracy, human rights, and the rule of law—ASIMKOM notes with deep regret that the intervening years have instead seen a steady and alarming consolidation of autocratic power. Over the past quarter of a century, the Azerbaijani authorities have progressively dismantled democratic institutions, eroded judicial independence, suppressed fundamental freedoms, and created an environment of pervasive repression that has grown markedly more severe in recent years.

The present human rights emergency in Azerbaijan, characterised by an intensified and systematic crackdown since November 2023, requires immediate and resolute action by the international community. Politically fabricated criminal proceedings have been launched against the Popular Front Party—the country’s leading opposition force and the last organised centre of political resistance—culminating in the detention of opposition leader Ali Karimli. This campaign of repression extends systematically to independent civil society organisations, journalists, and human rights defenders, generating a widespread climate of intimidation and stifling any remaining space for dissent. The Aliyev administration’s conduct not only inflicts grave domestic human rights violations but also constitutes an active challenge to the principles of a rules-based international order. In January 2024, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) took a principled and necessary step by suspending the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation. Regrettably, rather than prompting any course correction, this measure elicited further defiance from Baku, including the imposition of entry bans on PACE members who voted in favour of the suspension. While the Assembly has continued to uphold a firm and consistent position, the same cannot be said of other Council of Europe bodies. The Secretary General and the Committee of Ministers have persisted with a cautious and largely ineffectual policy of engagement that has failed to produce meaningful change. This divergence in approach weakens the Organisation’s overall response to the crisis.

ASIMKOM therefore calls upon the Parliamentary Assembly to invoke its authority under Rule 25.3 of the Rules of Procedure and initiate the complementary joint procedure at the earliest opportunity, ideally during the PACE Winter Session of 2026. This mechanism would compel the Secretary General and the Committee of Ministers to align their conduct with the Assembly’s principled stance and to take concrete steps commensurate with the gravity of Azerbaijan’s repeated and serious violations of its statutory obligations under the Council of Europe framework.

Hesitation to activate this procedure in the past has often been attributed to concern that decisive action might prompt Azerbaijan to follow Russia’s example and withdraw from the Organisation. Recent developments, however—including the European Parliament’s strong resolution of December 2025, which conditioned future EU partnerships on verifiable progress in human rights and the rule of law—significantly reduce the plausibility of such an outcome. Azerbaijan remains heavily dependent on economic and energy cooperation with the European Union, and the principal institutional channel for addressing human rights and rule-of-law concerns in its relations with Europe continues to be the Council of Europe. The risk of withdrawal, therefore, appears low, while the window for effective leverage is open.

This urgency is further underscored by President Ilham Aliyev’s statement in his recent Euronews interview, in which he explicitly declared that Azerbaijan has terminated all cooperation with both the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament, asserting that engagement with the European Commission alone suffices for the country’s needs. This declaration, delivered at the highest level of state authority, confirms the regime’s deliberate intention to entrench autocratic control, to accelerate the two-decade-long campaign of systematic repression directed against independent civil society, political opposition, and free media, and to pursue what can only be described as a policy of incremental politicide—the gradual but methodical elimination of political pluralism and organised dissent within the country. Such rhetoric also represents a frontal assault on the multilateral order and the values that underpin European institutions.

Marking twenty-five years of Azerbaijan’s membership in the Council of Europe, ASIMKOM appeals to the Parliamentary Assembly to maintain its vital leadership role and to press the political bodies of the Organisation to act with corresponding determination. The complementary joint procedure constitutes a key statutory instrument for achieving this alignment and for defending the integrity of the Council of Europe’s foundational commitments. Inaction at this critical juncture risks irreparable damage both to the prospects for democracy and human rights in Azerbaijan and to the credibility of Europe’s premier human rights institution.

Issued by ASIMKOM

Political Coordination Centre of the Azerbaijani Exiles

22 January 2026