Human Rights House Foundation statement
HRC56 – Item 3 – Interactive Dialogue – SR climate change
1 July 2024
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Thank you.
On 29 April 2024, the Azerbaijani authorities arrested prominent human rights defender Anar Mammadli in Baku. He currently faces almost 4 months pre-trial detention.
Mammadli had only just returned from Geneva having spoken at a side event at the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, on 15 March, entitled Media and Civil Society Under Pressure in Azerbaijan Ahead of COP29. Mammadli highlighted violations of fundamental freedoms in Azerbaijan, calling for freedom for political prisoners and an improved legal and political environment for human rights defenders.
In addition, Mammadli had been leading a campaign entitled “Climate of Justice” which sought to raise the human rights situation in Azerbaijan ahead of COP29 which will be hosted by Baku in November this year, as well as highlighting Azerbaijan’s own lack of progress towards its climate-related goals.
Mammadli’s detention should be understood as a direct reprisal for his independent and legitimate election observation efforts and human rights work, and comes in the context of a dramatic deterioration in the human rights situation in Azerbaijan, including with many politically-motivated detentions and charges against journalists and human rights defenders.
We condemn Mammadli’s detention and call for his immediate release, along with all other political prisoners in Azerbaijan.
President.
We ask the Special Rapporteur, what guarantees relating to the protection of local and international civil society should the Human Rights Council and states be seeking from Azerbaijan before it hosts COP29 in November?
Thank you.
