The organizations also urge PACE to sustain its efforts to monitor the human rights situation in Azerbaijan.
Human rights violations continue
The undersigning organisations which took part in a 21-24 June delegation to the Council of Europe, noted their concern regarding the serious and widespread human rights violations that persist in Azerbaijan nearly ten years after the country’s accession to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
As highlighted in the report debated in the 24 June PACE session, Document 12270, the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association are particularly restricted in Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijani elections have consistently failed to meet European standards for fair and free elections.
Electoral reform needed
The undersigning organisations fully support the recommendations contained in the resolution and draw particular attention to those recommendations related to freedom of expression and electoral reform.
They call upon the Azerbaijani government to implement these recommendations and to take every necessary measure to ensure that November’s parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan meet European standards for fair and free elections.
Call to release prisoners of conscience
In particular, human rights organisations urge the Azerbaijan government to comply with the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling on Editor-In-Chief Eynulla Fatullayev’s case, including by immediately releasing him from prison.
Article 19, the Human Rights House Foundation, the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety, and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee also urge the Azerbaijani authorities to conduct a new, more thorough and objective investigation into the convictions of bloggers Adnan Hajizade and Emin Abdullayev, who are internationally recognised as prisoners of conscience.
PACE should sustain monitoring efforts
The undersigning organisations call upon PACE to sustain its monitoring efforts on Azerbaijan, particularly through its Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe.
They encourage the new co-rapporteurs on Azerbaijan, Joseph Debono Grech and Pedro Agramunt Font De Mora, to take their mandate seriously, monitor the country’s adherence to current Council of Europe standards, and sustain the current level of reporting on Azerbaijan’s legal obligations under the ECHR. The government of Azerbaijan should continue to be held to account in accordance with its commitments as a fully fledged member of the Council of Europe.
The full text of 
PACE Resolution 1750 is available here.
The report debated in the 24 June PACE session, Document 12270, is available here.
For a fuller description of our concerns regarding the human rights situation in Azerbaijan, please see our joint statement here.
Contacts
For more information, please contact Rebecca Vincent at Article 19 at rebecca@article19.org or +44 207 324 2500; Florian Irminger at the Human Rights House Foundation at florian.irminger@humanrightshouse.org or +41 22 594 38 00; Rasul Jafarov or Emin Huseynov at the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety at irfs.az@gmail.com or +994 12 418 5534; or Berit Lindeman at the Norwegian Helsinki Committee at lindeman@nhc.no or +47 90933379.
