In less than a month, all eyes will be on Azerbaijan as the world gathers in its capital, Baku, for the United Nations climate conference, COP29. Much of the attention to the conference and its host country has focused on the geopolitical complications of holding a critical global event in an oil-rich, authoritarian state. Yet, the scandal goes beyond the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.
President Ilham Aliyev’s regime has earned a reputation for its longstanding record of human rights abuses, a fact many have conveniently ignored. As Azerbaijan takes the international stage, world leaders should call out these violations and demand President Aliyev take immediate steps to uphold its human rights obligations.
This is the third consecutive COP in an authoritarian country, the second in a petrostate. Without clear human rights criteria for COP hosts, including an obligation to ensure the rights of free speech and assembly are protected, the process risks losing all semblance of legitimacy.
The UN has recognized that tackling the global problem of climate change requires genuine participation from diverse players, including civil society. The fact that Azerbaijan will lead conversations on climate change while systematically silencing its people — including environmental activists — is a glaring contradiction.
For years, the Azerbaijani government has used legal and political means to narrow civic space and crack down on dissent. It has created a legal and administrative regime of denying registration to NGOs, which has vastly reduced the number of civil society organizations able to operate legally in the country. Meanwhile, the government has simultaneously arrested and imprisoned scores of human rights defenders.
Targeting Critics
In recent months, Azerbaijan’s campaign of harassment and intimidation has targeted a widening circle of independent voices. Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu, an economist and oil and gas industry expert, faces bogus charges as part of a broader effort to silence those who could offer meaningful criticism of the country’s energy policies and broader governance.
Masked men beat and arrested journalist Ulvi Hasanli, director of the independent news outlet Abzas Media, outside his home in November 2023. While facing charges of unlawfully bringing money into the country, the regime clearly considers his true crime to be reporting on its corruption.
Dr. Ibadoghlu, Hasanli, and Abzas Media’s Chief Editor, Sevinc Vagifqizi, are just three of the more than 300 political prisoners estimated to be in Azerbaijan.
In recent months, Azerbaijan’s campaign of harassment and intimidation has targeted a widening circle of independent voices.
With few repercussions from foreign partners and international bodies, in March 2024, President Aliyev intensified his crackdown, ordering authorities to raid the offices of the independent media outlet Toplum TV and the Baku-based Institute of Democratic Initiatives (IDI).
Authorities arrested dozens of people, including three journalists, Toplum TV’s cofounder, Alasgar Mammadli, and IDI’s founder and human rights defender, Akif Gurbanov.
Within four months, the government had effectively shut down three independent news outlets and an NGO.
Authorities have accused the journalists and the nongovernmental organizations of various smuggling-related charges, in retaliation for attempting to carry out their legitimate work.
“Well-Established, Abusive Methods”
Meanwhile, rights groups have sounded the alarm. According to Human Rights Watch, these arrests “are politically motivated and follow well-established, abusive methods the government has used for many years to curtail freedom of speech and freedom of association in the country.”
By allowing Azerbaijan to host COP29, the international community has handed Aliyev a propaganda victory, like autocratic hosts the UAE and Egypt before him. The regime will inevitably use the conference to greenwash its image, presenting itself as a leader in the climate space, all while jailing political prisoners within its borders.
Some may argue that hosting COP29 in Baku offers a unique opportunity to engage with the Azerbaijani government and encourage reforms from within. Azerbaijan’s government claims that it is prepared for difficult discussions that aim to tackle the climate crisis.
Yet, with civil society holding on by a thread and activists at risk of detention, Azerbaijan has already failed at its most basic obligation as a COP host.
Freedom, Justice, and Democratic Reforms
If past experience is any indication, government-organized nongovernmental organizations, or GONGOS, will be present at COP29, masquerading as a true civil society while independent activists may be denied entry or fear the risk of detention is too great to risk attending.
With global attention on Azerbaijan, the increased spotlight must be an opportunity to demand reform and accountability. Yet, the media and international actors seem content to frame the Aliyev regime sympathetically as it “balances divergent interests.” The truth is, this is a government that has repeatedly proven itself willing to imprison critics and dissidents for daring to challenge its authority.
As COP29 approaches, the world should not ignore the plight of Azerbaijani political prisoners. Instead, it should use this moment to demand freedom, justice, and democratic reforms for the people of Azerbaijan.
We must all seize this opportunity to demand rights at COP and beyond.