Hypocrisy on display Another European Parliament resolution against Azerbaijan

True to its hostile stance towards Azerbaijan, the European Parliament has adopted yet another provocative resolution concerning the country.

In this new EU “document,” which was supported by 477 MEPs, opposed by 7, and with 69 abstentions, it condemns “both the Azerbaijani authorities’ misuse of national security provisions as tools for judicial harassment and the criminalisation of freedom of expression, peace advocacy and public criticism in the country.” It also calls for “immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, including Bahruz Samadov, a PhD student at Charles University, and Igbal Abilov.”

The “document” further urges the adoption of appropriate measures under the EU’s global human rights sanctions regime against the responsible officials and stresses that, as stated in previous parliamentary resolutions, progress in concluding any future partnership agreement should be contingent upon tangible achievements in the areas of human rights, the rule of law, and respect for EU values and principles.

So, first of all, it should be noted that this new European Parliament pamphlet reveals nothing new to us; it merely confirms a long-established fact: the EU does not shy away from any means to discredit Azerbaijan, which pursues its independent course in the system of international relations. It is not difficult to understand that this latest display of such a biased approach is driven by European officials’ reluctance to accept Baku’s successes in regional politics, primarily regarding the promotion of a peaceful agenda in the region.

Secondly, it is perfectly clear that this resolution has nothing to do with objectivity or reality; instead, it once again confirms the West’s consistent policy of double standards, with which Azerbaijan has been confronted continuously since the Armenian occupation. In this context, it is worth recalling a number of other provocative actions taken by the European Parliament against the Azerbaijani state.

For example, in February 2024, the European Parliament did not hesitate to adopt two resolutions at once, each calling for sanctions against Azerbaijan and the suspension of the Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Energy Partnership. Then, in October, yet another “document” followed, demanding that EU member states cease any technical and financial assistance to Azerbaijan that could contribute to strengthening its military capabilities and freeze all exports of military equipment to the country.

It is worth noting one particular point: the same resolution welcomed assistance provided to the Armenian armed forces from the European Peace Facility, further strengthening Armenia–EU cooperation in the fields of security and defence, and condemned any military aggression, use of force, or hybrid threats against Yerevan.

It gets even more striking. This “document” includes a clause emphasising that issues related to the unblocking of regional communications should be resolved exclusively with respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia. Azerbaijan’s role in this matter was completely disregarded, yet there was a “valuable instruction” to the Azerbaijani authorities to “allow the safe return of the Armenian population to Nagorno-Karabakh.”

All this comes despite the fact that during nearly thirty years of Armenian occupation, not once has the European Parliament issued a statement defending the rights of Azerbaijanis—who, due to the actions of the aggressor state, Armenia, became refugees and internally displaced persons—to return to their homes.

It is also impossible to ignore the fact that Muslims across Europe face blatant racism and Islamophobia. For instance, an article published in the British newspaper The Guardian emphasises that “Muslims across Europe are grappling with a ‘worrying surge’ of racism that is being fuelled in part by ‘dehumanising anti-Muslim rhetoric.’” The publication notes that this statement came from a leading EU human rights agency, which released the results of a survey showing that nearly half of Muslim respondents reported experiencing discrimination. These are clear examples of how some politicians in Old World states shamelessly trample on the very European values that, they claim, are the cornerstones of Europe.

Returning to the latest European Parliament escapade, it is clear that the ever-present Armenian lobby played a role, generously funding anti-Azerbaijani propaganda within this body—an institution that today could rightly be called “corrupt.” Such an assertion is supported by recent corruption scandals in EU structures, implicating high-ranking European officials. This is the third point.

The fourth aspect, which rightly provokes our indignation, is as follows: “On what grounds does the European Parliament interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign state by demanding that the Republic of Azerbaijan release individuals convicted by Azerbaijani courts for specific crimes?” Here, we are referring to Bahruz Samadov and Igbal Abilov, whose guilt in acts of treason was proven in court, resulting in their respective sentences. It is not for EU officials to question the objectivity and fairness of Azerbaijan’s judicial system—especially given that the judicial systems within the EU itself are far from perfect, if not outright crumbling in some cases.

In conclusion, we would like to draw the attention of high-ranking EU officials to the recently published United States National Security Strategy. Unlike the resolution adopted by the European Parliament, this weighty and authoritative document explicitly states that Europe faces the“prospect of civilizational erasure,” and that some European countries “will be unrecognizable in 20 years or less.” These conclusions should prompt the members of the European Parliament to focus on the logs in their own backyard, rather than searching for splinters in someone else’s garden—especially when there are none to be found and never have been.