First Pan-European Congress of Azerbaijani Political Emigrés and Exiled Media Held in Strasbourg
The First Pan-European Congress of Azerbaijani Political Emigrés and Exiled Media was held in Strasbourg on September 26, 2026.
The nearly six-hour congress brought together discussions on the challenges currently facing Azerbaijan’s political emigrés, independent media, civil society, and alternative political forces operating inside the country.
Qənimət Zahid, Rauf Mirqədirov, Elman Fəttah, Arif Yunus, Arif Şahmarlı, Əfqan Muxtarlı, Surxan Lətifov, Cəsur Sumərinli, Çingiz Sultansoy, Rahim Hacıyev, Fuad Qəhrəmanlı, Səməd Rəhimli, Sevinc Osmanqızı, Adid Qafarov, Qulu Məmmədli, and other participants delivered presentations, followed by extensive discussions and exchanges of views.
The congress focused primarily on restrictions on political and civic activity in Azerbaijan, the new challenges facing political emigrés, the role of exiled media, and ways to establish more systematic cooperation between the Azerbaijani diaspora and international institutions.
The shrinking space for alternative institutions in Azerbaijan
One of the main areas of discussion was the impact of restrictions on critical and alternative institutions inside the country on the activities and strategies of Azerbaijan’s opposition, civil society, and critical media.
Participants discussed developments in Azerbaijan’s political and civic environment, reports of intensified repressive pressure since November 2023, restrictions on the activities of political forces, growing pressure on independent media, and the detention of journalists.
The discussions also addressed restrictions on the activities of civil society organizations, the main groups targeted by repression, and the situation of political prisoners.
New challenges facing political emigrés
The political, legal, and social challenges confronting Azerbaijani political emigrés were also discussed separately.
Participants exchanged views on new risks facing political emigrés, observed forms and trends of transnational repression, and mechanisms for strengthening the security and legal protection of Azerbaijani political emigrés.
The role of exiled media
Another major focus of the congress was the role of Azerbaijani media operating outside the country.
Discussions addressed the growing need for exiled media in an environment where access to information in Azerbaijan is restricted, the challenges faced by media organizations operating from abroad, information and journalist safety, and opportunities for strengthening cooperation among different media initiatives.
Participants also discussed ways to make cooperation between exiled media organizations and democratic forces more effective.
Cooperation with international institutions
The congress also examined ways to make cooperation between the Azerbaijani political emigration and international institutions more systematic and results-oriented.
Particular attention was given to developing relations with the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and other international institutions, keeping human rights and political repression on the international agenda, and improving mechanisms for documenting cases of repression.
Resolutions adopted
At the conclusion of the congress, a number of resolutions were adopted addressing the issues discussed during the event.
The full texts of the resolutions are available on the organizers’ website.
Participants also announced their intention to hold the Second Pan-European Congress six months later.
The First Pan-European Congress in Strasbourg thus provided a broad platform for discussing the challenges facing Azerbaijani political emigrés, exiled media, and various democratic initiatives, while also exploring ways to strengthen existing ties and develop future mechanisms for cooperation.