Human rights breaches in Crimea, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan

On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted three resolutions related to the respect for human rights in Crimea, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan.

The European Parliament condemns the illegal occupation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by Russia, in the 11th year of the illegal annexation. MEPs say Crimeans experience significant human rights violations, with Crimean Tatars, ethnic Ukrainians and other ethnic minorities particularly targeted. Parliament points to political prisoners Iryna Danylovych, Tofik Abdulhaziiev, and Amet Suleymanov as examples of the persecution of journalists, civil society activists, and human rights defenders by the Russian occupiers and demands their immediate and unconditional release.

MEPs also call on the international community to continue its policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea and for the strengthening of sanctions against individuals and legal entities involved in the illegal annexation. The resolution was adopted by 446 votes in favour, 25 against, and 51 abstentions.

MEPs are gravely concerned about the Kyrgyzstan government’s attacks on media freedom, freedom of expression and intimidation of political opposition, which includes arrests of journalists, bloggers and civil society groups, and most notably the arbitrary arrest of opposition leader Temirlan Sultanbekov. They call on the Kyrgyz authorities to release Sultanbekov and other party officials as soon as possible, ensuring full respect for their political and civil rights and upholding the democratic standards and fundamental freedoms agreed as part of the EU-Kyrgyzstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP +).

MEPs also urgently call for the Kyrgyz government to retract its “false information law” as well as its law on “Foreign Representatives,” and demand that the Kyrgyz authorities do not assist the Russian Federation in evading sanctions imposed on Russia as a result of its war of aggression against Ukraine.

The resolution was adopted by 492 votes in favour, 28 against, and with 41 abstentions. For more information, find the full adopted text (19.12.2024). In the resolution adopted today by MEPs, they condemn ongoing human rights violations in the country and urge the Azerbaijani authorities to end the crackdown on all dissident groups immediately. Parliament wants the unconditional release of human rights defenders, journalists and political activists prosecuted under fabricated, politically motivated charges.

They deplore the fact that Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, a finalist for the 2024 Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought, was not allowed to attend the award ceremony in Strasbourg nor to connect remotely, and demand the immediate lifting of his travel ban. Azerbaijan authorities must drop all charges against him and allow him to receive medical treatment abroad, MEPs say.

Azerbaijan must also lift restrictions on independent media and end the repression of Meydan TV, Toplum TV, Abaz Media and Kanal 13, MEPs say, while calling for EU sanctions to be imposed on officials responsible for serious human rights violations. They insist any EU-Azerbaijan partnership agreement, including on energy, must be strongly conditional on the respect for fundamental rights and the release of all political prisoners. The resolution was adopted by 434 votes in favour, 30 against, and 89 abstentions.

Source: European Parliament