16. Recommendations
Secretary General
- Launch an official inquiry under Article 52 of the European Convention on Human Rights, focusing on:
- The weaponisation of the legal system against civil society and the media.
- The abuse of criminal law to prosecute human rights defenders, journalists, and media workers
- Engage with the Committee of Ministers and PACE members to develop a common position on the conditions that Azerbaijan must meet before any return to full participation in the Council of Europe
Committee of Ministers
- Introduce an oversight over the Action Plan with Azerbaijan that would include proper evaluation and quality check of the activities
- Cease negotiations on extending or adopting a new Action Plan until Azerbaijan demonstrates concrete progress on human rights
- Condition any future funding under Action Plans on clear human rights benchmarks, and adopt a roadmap of engagement based on the Secretary General’s Article 52 inquiry findings
- Move the Ramazanova and Others v. Azerbaijan group of cases to enhanced supervision and ensure general measures are adopted to implement these judgments fully
- As part of ECtHR judgment implementation on freedom of association, urge Azerbaijan to:
- Overhaul restrictive NGO legislation and abolish burdensome registration procedures
- Simplify rules for registering grants, service contracts, and donations by replacing approvals with notification procedures
- Remove onerous requirements on foreign donors and international NGOs seeking to operate in Azerbaijan
Parliamentary Assembly (PACE)
- Strengthen monitoring of Azerbaijan’s obligations, with a focus on undue restrictions on civil society, and include detailed recommendations for legislative and policy reforms
- Set clear benchmarks on freedom of assembly and an enabling environment for civil society before considering reinstating Azerbaijan’s credentials at the Assembly
- Ensure that the humanitarian situation of Karabakh Armenians is addressed separately from Azerbaijan’s internal human rights crisis
Member States and the European Union
- Condition bilateral and multilateral funding to Azerbaijan on measurable human rights progress, aligned with benchmarks adopted by the Committee of Ministers
- Support the development of a Council of Europe roadmap of engagement with Azerbaijan, based on the outcomes of the Article 52 inquiry
- Increase direct financial support for Azerbaijani civil society and media in exile, and strengthen the protection of human rights for Azerbaijani activists and journalists residing in Europe
- Facilitate legal residency and ensure protection for Azerbaijani civil society actors and journalists applying for residence permits in Europe