2. Background
Azerbaijan became a member of the Council of Europe (CoE) in January 2001. This membership raised expectations of a more democratic future and an improved human rights record. Following its membership, Azerbaijan ratified several key conventions, including the European Convention on the Prevention of Torture (2001), the European Convention on Human Rights (2002), and the European Charter of Local Self-Government (2002). The country’s first delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) was led by Ilham Aliyev, then a young member of parliament and son of President Heydar Aliyev, whom he would later succeed.
Under Heydar Aliyev’s leadership, Azerbaijan declared its European aspirations and pledged to pursue democratic development. While the 2000 parliamentary elections were assessed by international observers as falling short of democratic standards, some progress was noted, particularly in terms of enhanced political pluralism. Overall, the first decade of Council of Europe membership reflected a mixed record: although significant legal commitments were made, tangible improvements in practice remained limited.
The transition of power in 2003, following the death of Heydar Aliyev, brought Ilham Aliyev to the presidency. Post-election protests in 2003 were brutally suppressed, and the pro-democracy youth movement Yeni Fikir faced a crackdown ahead of the 2005 parliamentary elections.
During this period, human rights violations often peaked around election cycles. While civic space formally existed and local NGOs continued engaging with Council of Europe institutions, warning signs began to emerge. The arrest of two satirical bloggers in 2009 foreshadowed a more restrictive government policy, as the Aliyev administration – worried about the risk of “colour revolutions” – increasingly targeted the active NGO sector.