MEPs called on the authorities of Azerbaijan to release political prisoners.

The European Parliament called on the authorities of Azerbaijan to release Ali Kerimli, Anar Mammadli, and other political prisoners, and the European Union to consider targeted sanctions in connection with human rights violations. The deputies also suggested taking the human rights situation into account when preparing the future partnership agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan. Against the backdrop of the tough rhetoric of the MEPs, no specific sanctions were proposed, analysts noted.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", hearings dedicated to the human rights situation and media freedom in Azerbaijan took place in the European Parliament's Human Rights Subcommittee on May 7. Participants in the hearings stated that pressure on the opposition, civil society, and independent media is increasing in Azerbaijan. The European Commission should call on Azerbaijan to release political prisoners and stop persecuting government critics, they concluded.

The European Parliament called on Baku to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners

On October 8, the European Parliament adopted a resolution regarding the chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP) Ali Kerimli, human rights defender Anar Mammadli, and other political prisoners in Azerbaijan under number (2026/2914(RSP). “The cases of Ali Karimli, Anar Mammadli and other political prisoners in Azerbaijan.”

The document states that Kerimli has been in pre-trial detention since November 2025 on charges of attempting to seize power by force, which he denies.

The resolution, citing international human rights organizations, specifically mentions the deterioration of Kerimli's detention conditions, including restrictions on communication with relatives, food deliveries, access to drinking water, lack of ventilation, sleep deprivation, dehydration, and fainting.

Referring to human rights defenders, the resolution describes such conditions as “torture or cruel treatment.”

Separately, MEPs condemned the sentence against Anar Mammadli, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison on several criminal charges on September 7. The co-defendant, journalist Anar Abdullayev (Anar Abdulla), received a 12-year prison sentence. The European Parliament reminded that the European Court of Human Rights previously recognized Mammadli's detention as politically motivated and called on Azerbaijan to fully comply with the Strasbourg court's decisions “in the Mammadli group of cases.”

The resolution states that the cases of Kerimli, Mammadli, and Abdullayev are “part of a broader campaign of pressure on opposition members, journalists, human rights defenders, activists, and representatives of the academic community.” It also notes that the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan exceeds 300 people.

The European Parliament called on Baku to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners. It also contains a demand to ensure prisoners' access to water, food, medical care, lawyers, and relatives, and to conduct an independent investigation into reports of mistreatment of Kerimli.

The European Parliament also called on the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and member states to prepare “targeted measures under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.”

The EU Delegation in Baku and the embassies of EU countries are recommended to monitor court proceedings “in politically sensitive cases.”

The document emphasizes that any future partnership agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan should depend on “tangible progress” in the field of human rights and the rule of law, including the release of political prisoners. The European Parliament also called on the European Commission to increase support for Azerbaijani civil society and independent media, including those operating from abroad.

European deputies separately expressed concern over the detention of EU citizens, particularly French citizen Anas Derraz. At the same time, they welcomed the departure of Gubad Ibadoglu to Germany for urgent treatment, calling for all criminal charges against him to be dropped. In addition, the resolution condemns transnational repression against Azerbaijani critics abroad and calls on EU countries to carefully scrutinize Baku's requests for their extradition.

As reported by a journalist in political emigration, Fikret Huseynli, who observed the debates in the European Parliament, the resolution was adopted with 492 votes in favor, 23 against, and 60 abstentions.

Analysts noted the tough rhetoric of the European Parliament

According to the head of the press service of the APFP Natig Adilov, the voting results reflect the course of the debates.

“Although the resolution was put to a vote on October 8 according to the procedures of the European Parliament, discussions took place on October 7. The overwhelming majority of those who spoke were tough on human rights violations in Azerbaijan and linked further EU cooperation with Azerbaijan to the release of political prisoners. For example, Finnish MEP Sebastian Tynkkynen criticized the EU for double standards and continuing economic relations with Azerbaijan amid repression and the presence of more than 300 political prisoners. He called for an end to ignoring human rights violations for economic gain and to clearly state that partnership with Europe is incompatible with political persecution,” Adilov told the correspondent of the Caucasian Knot.

However, one of the Baku experts in a conversation with the correspondent of the Caucasian Knot pointed out that the resolution, like previous European Parliament documents on Azerbaijan, maintained “diplomatic restraint.”

“Yes, the rhetoric of the resolution has become tougher. However, regarding possible sanction measures, it lacks specificity and targeting. In the previous resolution, specific addressees were indicated – the heads of law enforcement agencies. But now, the MEPs have refrained from mentioning any ‘personalities’,” he noted.

Nevertheless, the call to link the future agreement with the EU to improvements in the human rights situation and the release of political prisoners is important, the analyst believes. “Of course, official Baku will obstruct this decision of the European Parliament and claim that the decisions of the European Parliament have no significance for them and that Azerbaijan has completely severed relations with this structure. But such resolutions are still important. Because ultimately, after some time, they lead to limited but positive consequences. The European Parliament has discussed the case of Gubad Ibadoglu several times, and finally, he was recently released from the country,” he said on condition of anonymity.

Earlier, Azerbaijani parliamentarians decided to suspend all ties of the Milli Majlis with the European Parliament after the European Parliament adopted a resolution that points to the right of Armenians to return to Karabakh and also demands the release of Armenian prisoners of war. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry handed a note of protest to the EU ambassador.

The rupture of cooperation, which was mainly symbolic, will not lead to economic losses for Azerbaijan due to the EU's interest in energy and transport partnership, but Baku may incur political and image costs, while Brussels loses the opportunity to demand compliance with European human rights standards, analysts noted.