Baku reacts to European Parliament resolution on Azerbaijan that condemned human rights violations
Baku, Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan has strongly reacted to European Parliament (EP) resolution on Azerbaijan passed on September 10 as resolution condemned human rights violations by Azerbaijan government.
EU council suggested targeted sanctions against Azerbaijan and visa bans against judges, politicians and government officials who are directly involved in political persecution.
Head of EU Delegation in Azerbaijan Ms. Malena Mard was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs September 11.
The deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev meeting with EU delegation and said that Azerbaijan strongly condemn the adoption of European Parliament resolution on Azerbaijan (2015/2840(RSP)) dated on September 10.
He called the resolution biased and destructive document undermines the relations between EU and Azerbaijan and creates serious obstacle for their future prospect.
He was of the view that the Resolution is full of biased and distorted information on the human rights situation in Azerbaijan. It specifically politicizes the individual criminal cases and raises ungrounded accusations as to their real substance.
He was of the view that EU’s constant selective approach towards Azerbaijan demonstrates that human rights issues are used as a tool to exert politically motivated pressure on Azerbaijan.
He threaten EP members should know that such attempts are doomed to failure from the very inception.
“Abusive language used in certain provisions of the Resolution goes beyond the ethical norms and crosses the “red line”. Absurd and silly accusations directed against our country are totally unacceptable and seriously undermine the credibility of the Institution. The groundless calls for targeted sanctions and visa bans can in no way be tolerated”, he added.
It may be mentioned that Human Rights violations in Azerbaijan have become serious and European countries are expressing their concerns over Human Rights approach of Azerbaijan government.
EU in its resolution said that overall human rights situation in Azerbaijan has deteriorated continuously over the last few years, with growing intimidation and repression and intensification of the practice of criminal prosecution of NGO leaders, human rights defenders, journalists and other civil society representatives.
EU included several known cases of Human Rights abuses conducted by Azerbaijan during the last three years.
After the meeting with deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev, Malena Mard said that position of Azerbaijan will be conveyed to related structures of the European Union.
