The rule of law in Azerbaijan ahead of the visit by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to Baku

Question for written answer E-001666/2025 to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Rule 144 Nikolas Farantouris (The Left) Subject: The rule of law in Azerbaijan ahead of the visit by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to Baku The Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, is making a surprise visit to Azerbaijan on 25 April, without however announcing the agenda for the talks with President Ilham Aliyev. According to international observers, Baku has recently been drastically restricting freedom of expression, violently suppressing peaceful demonstrations. 1 The authorities have carried out mass arrests of opposition figures. Dozens of citizens remain in politically motivated detention. Journalists and activists are in prison after show trials. 2 Furthermore, following the 2023 military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh, over 100,000 Armenians - almost the entire Armenian population of the region - became refugees in Armenia amid a severe humanitarian crisis. 3 It is recalled that the European Parliament has recognised the Armenian Genocide,4 which is commemorated today, 24 April, and Europe must prevent similar incidents in the future. The Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is...