Ilham Aliyev’s Regime Uses COP29 to Whitewash Ethnic Cleansing and Torture

Azerbaijan, a country often criticized for its authoritarian governance and human rights abuses, is hosting the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) this year in its capital, Baku. While the event aims to address global climate challenges, hosting it in a country with a contentious track record has raised alarm among human rights advocates, academics, and environmental activists. In a compelling video obtained by The Armenian Report, human rights judges, lawyers, and activists from around the globe are speaking out against Azerbaijan’s crimes against humanity and urging the international community to secure the release of Armenian prisoners of war.

The Aliyev family has ruled Azerbaijan for nearly half a century, with President Ilham Aliyev at the helm since 2003. Critics argue that the choice to host COP29 in Azerbaijan risks overshadowing the country's pressing human rights issues.

Luis Moreno Ocampo, former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, expressed deep concerns about Azerbaijan's actions in Nagorno-Karabakh, where over 120,000 Armenians were forcibly displaced in what many observers describe as ethnic cleansing. Ocampo pointed to reports of starvation and forced removals, likening the events to historical genocides. "We are doing this meeting without mentioning that crimes against humanity have occurred," he said, calling for global action to address these atrocities.

“The U.S. State Department’s 2023 Report explains that in Baku prisons, people are tortured and killed, and the judges do nothing, because the judges are not independent,” said Luis Moreno Ocampo. 

Dele Olojede, an award-winning journalist, highlighted the influence of Azerbaijan's oil wealth in global politics. He criticized how money often eclipses values in international decision-making. "This is an oil-rich country governed by one authoritarian president," Olojede remarked. He warned that prioritizing financial alliances over human rights undermines efforts to build a just and equitable world.

“At the very basic starting point of all human beings is the idea of freedom, and any state that is not implementing these conventions and these laws really does need to be properly sanctioned and their leaders made into pariahs who are not welcome in respectable company,” said Dele Olojede.

Greta Thunberg, the renowned climate activist, also voiced her disapproval, emphasizing that Azerbaijan's fossil fuel-dependent economy and plans for expansion contradict the goals of COP29. “It is unacceptable that a country committing ethnic cleansing and repressing civil society gains legitimacy by hosting this event,” she stated.

Human rights violations in Azerbaijan have been extensively documented. The U.S. State Department’s 2023 report detailed torture and deaths in Azerbaijani prisons, with no accountability due to a lack of judicial independence. Baroness Caroline Cox, a member of the UK House of Lords, called for the release of Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan, describing their detention as illegal and inhumane.

“I would hope that the international community might exert a little bit more pressure on Azerbaijan to free those people it is holding captive illegally and causing, obviously, a great deal of suffering,” said Baroness Caroline Cox.

Azerbaijani journalist Mahammad Mirzali criticized European leaders for maintaining ties with Azerbaijan, accusing them of prioritizing energy interests over human rights. He pointed out that Azerbaijani authorities not only detain political prisoners but also target dissidents abroad, including attempts on his own life in France. “For the sake of gas, they are putting human rights on the back burner,” Mirzali said.

“I’m shameful that European politicians continue to align with Azerbaijan and call it a reliable partner. Madame Ursula von der Leyan shook hands with Ilham Aliyev. This gesture is disgraceful. Especially from Europe, a place with many politicians that claim to uphold human rights. For the sake of gas, they are putting human rights on the back burner. Many European leaders, including Charles Michel, continue to congratulate and shake hands with Ilham Aliyev. Congratulations for what? For imprisoning more than 300 Azerbaijani political prisoners? For detaining  numerous Armenian hostages? For holding French citizens in jail? This is the kind of violence that is committed on Azerbaijani prisoners, foreigners in Azerbaijan, and even myself. I have survived 3 murder attempts on French soil, commanded by Azerbaijan,” said Azerbaijani journalist Mahammad Mirzali.  

Advocates like Jared Genser and Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro stressed the importance of collective global action. Genser emphasized the need to address ethnic cleansing and political imprisonment through sustained international pressure. "Dictators release political prisoners only when they face consequences," he noted. 

Kanyoro highlighted the lack of global awareness about atrocities such as the Armenian Genocide and called for a unified voice to ensure justice for all victims of human rights abuses.

For many, the decision to hold COP29 in Azerbaijan is seen as a form of "rights-washing," legitimizing the government’s actions while diverting attention from its record. Dr. Georgi M. Derluguian described the regime's treatment of detainees as political manipulation, likening it to "political pornography" meant to humiliate and exert power over opponents.

Despite these challenges, COP29 presents an opportunity for civil society to spotlight Azerbaijan's human rights issues on a global stage. Ocampo suggested using the conference as a platform to demand accountability, while Thunberg urged attendees to challenge the country’s leadership on its environmental and ethical shortcomings.

As the world gathers in Baku for COP29, the dual crises of climate change and human rights abuses converge in a complex narrative. Will the international community rise to the challenge of addressing both issues, or will the event become a missed opportunity to uphold the principles it seeks to promote? There are three days left until the conference ends.