The European Parliament held a discussion titled “Unlawful detention and sham trials of Armenian hostages, including high-ranking political representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh, by Azerbaijan.”
During the debate, Portuguese MEP Catarina Vieira stated that Azerbaijan is facing a deep human rights crisis.
"The Azerbaijani government has imposed severe restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, and association, and has weaponized the judicial system against its critics.
The Armenians held in Baku are among the groups that have suffered the most under this government’s policies. Ill-treatment is widespread, and fair trials have become an illusion," she stated.
Vieira welcomed the European Parliament’s consistent attention to the issue but expressed disappointment that it seems to be the only EU institution addressing it.
"We cannot allow relations with Azerbaijan to continue as usual while sacrificing our values for economic and energy interests. This is not only hypocrisy but also creates dependency, making us vulnerable to blackmail.
Have we not learned our lessons from our past dependency on Russia? It is time to prioritize human rights over cheap oil and gas," Vieira concluded.
