PACE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS CONCERNS ABOUT AZERBAIJAN'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 000639

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/CARC, DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM AJ
SUBJECT: PACE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS CONCERNS ABOUT AZERBAIJAN'S
PRE-ELECTION POLITICAL CLIMATE

Classified By: Ambassador Anne E. Derse for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) On June 24, the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE) approved resolution 1614, which
serves as a "scorecard" on the state of Azerbaijan's
democratic institutions. The resolution's overall tone is
critical of Azerbaijan's track record, citing the
"deteriorating" human rights environment and the conditions
in the run up to the October Presidential election. The
resolution also calls on the GOAJ to release several
"political prisoners." The Azerbaijani delegation to PACE
and other parties appear, however, to have negotiated some of
the wording, which highlighted some of Azerbaijan's positive
progress. For example, the resolution notes that a number of
rule of law and democracy reforms are underway.


2. (SBU) The resolution's final article focuses on
Nagorno-Karabakh (NK),noting that "sustainable democratic
development will be extremely difficult in Azerbaijan as long
as the country's territorial integrity has not been
restored." New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) member and MP Aydin
Mirzazadeh publicly highlighted that this was a positive
aspect of the resolution because for the first time, PACE is
acknowledging the link between the resolution of NK and the
ability to move forward with democratic reforms.


3. (SBU) The basis for Resolution 1614's recommendations is
a report by the PACE co-rapporteurs for Azerbaijan, Andres
Herkel and Evguenia Jivkova. The executive summary of the
co-rapporteurs report highlighted "great concern about the
deteriorating human rights situation," "the harassment and
intimidation" of journalists, and called on the GOAJ to take
three steps in the run up to the presidential election:
ensuring balanced election commissions with the capacity for
handling complaints, equal and free access to media for all
candidates, and guaranteeing the opposition's right to hold
public rallies.


4. (SBU) The head of the Azerbaijani PACE delegation, Samad
Seyidov, publicly said the document was "balanced," noting
that there are some "true points," but some "issues" are "not
appropriate to Azerbaijan's national interests." The initial
opposition reaction to the PACE resolution is positive, but
National Unity Movement chief Lala Shovket and Democratic
Party head Sardar Jalaloglu raised questions about PACE's
political will to hold the GOAJ responsible to its Council of
Europe commitments. There has been only minimal coverage of
the PACE resolution in local television stations, where the
majority of Azerbaijanis get their news. Only the
pro-government Lider TV picked up the story.


5. (C) In a July 2 meeting with the Ambassador, Azerbaijani
human rights activists who had been to the PACE meeting in
Strasbourg expressed their appreciation for the original PACE
report, but their disappointment with the tone of the
Strasbourg meeting and with the final resolution. They
explained that about ten PACE members, who had previously
been guests of the Azerbaijani parliament in Baku, made
positive speeches in support of Azerbaijan and its progress
on democratic development. The human rights activists hinted
that Europe,s growing desire for Azerbaijani gas supplies
may also have influenced the outcome of this PACE hearing.
They also felt that the reaction of Azerbaijan,s PACE
delegation was dismissive of the PACE recommendations,
particularly regarding the release of sick "political
prisoners." Several activists expressed the need for
increased international pressure on the Azerbaijani
Government to ensure its compliance with the PACE resolution.


6. (C) In an July 2 lunch with Baku-based Ambassadors
immediately before his meeting with President Aliyev, PACE
President Lluis Maria De Puig said that PACE "could not
accept the current political realities" in Azerbaijan, and
sought to convince Azerbaijan "to make great changes." To
that end, in his afternoon meeting with President Aliyev he
said he would seek to convince him that he must release
journalists from prison and hold free and fair Presidential
elections. He said that in total, PACE had issued seven
resolutions critical of Azerbaijan, and that nothing much had
changed for the better. However, if PACE were not satisfied
with the upcoming Presidential elections, its patience would
come to an end, and it could well impose sanctions on
Azerbaijan or not recognize its representatives in

Parliament. However, he added that "PACE is not nave,"
realizing that true change "would take time."


7. (C) Comment: The Embassy believes the timing and
substance of the PACE report is valuable in laying down an
official marker on the state of Azerbaijan's democratic
institutions. It remains to be seen how much consideration
senior GOAJ officials will give to the report. Embassy will
be get and report on today's PACE President Lluis Maria De
Puig - President Aliyev meeting.
DERSE