Tyranny and climate action are incompatible. Azerbaijani activists protest

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS.  Azerbaijani opposition activists are calling 'Stop COP 29' in an attempt to draw the international community's attention to human rights issues in Azerbaijan. A protest was held in Germany ahead of the UN Climate Summit in Baku, according to an article by the "Geghard" Scientific-Analytical Foundation.

"Climate change, which could have catastrophic consequences for all of humanity, is one of the pressing global issues. It has also become a critical component of the political agenda for global leaders. Some countries' leaders are trying to 'catch the moment' and penetrate into the climate agenda, using it as a tool for their own PR and diverting public attention from their own crimes, violence, and aggressive actions.

Azerbaijan will host the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29) on November 11, 2024, with thousands of representatives from different countries participating. This annual event aims to find solutions to urgent climate issues.

The selection of Baku as the host country for the major climate event under the UN's auspices has sparked widespread criticism. Human rights organizations, international media outlets, and many political figures have expressed bewilderment about this decision. According to them, how can such a summit be trusted to be held in a country whose leadership has subjected Artsakh to ethnic cleansing, persecutes opposition figures, shuts down media outlets, and restricts freedom of speech?

In Azerbaijan, in addition to human rights issues, there are also serious environmental problems. Protests regularly occur in the country against soil, air, and water pollution, but the authorities respond to these protests with violence against the residents.

Opposition activists living outside Azerbaijan, who have been subjected to political persecution, are also dissatisfied with the situation. They have pointed out that there are numerous political prisoners in Azerbaijani prisons, the human rights situation is alarming, and freedom of speech and assembly are restricted. Currently, there are 347 political prisoners in Azerbaijani prisons, 30 of whom are journalists. Protest participants have noted that even after the country secured the right to host the summit, no positive changes have been observed in the country.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani leadership continues to arrest, subject to violence, and persecute an increasing number of opponents.

The participants of the protest have also appealed to the leaders and parliaments of the countries participating in COP 29, as well as to the UN and the European Parliament, asking for their support in the release of political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

The climate conference in Baku is a mockery of climate issues; it aims to preserve Aliyev’s reputation through oil dollars and to conceal Baku’s criminal actions,'' reads the article.