Friday Wrap-up: COP29 in Baku

This week saw the beginning of the COP 29 Climate Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, amid diplomatic tensions and accusations of human rights violations.

Meydan TV denied COP29 accreditation

Meydan TV was denied accreditation for the COP29 climate conference, despite submitting their application before the deadline. The registration process, managed by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), began on July 2, 2024, and concluded on October 21, 2024. Meydan TV’s staff applied on October 19 but faced issues due to their policy of not disclosing journalists’ names for security reasons, a practice they adopted in response to government repression.

A staff member explained that they were asked to provide three original work samples published under their name in the last four months, along with links to the website where the articles were published. After explaining their anonymity policy and providing an alternative verification, they received no response, leaving their application unconfirmed. Another employee attempted to register one day before the deadline and was informed that the time had expired, despite the official closing time being nearly 24 hours later.

Ayan Nassaf, a member of the COP29 Operation Company’s Coordination Council, stated that around 3,000 journalists, including both local and international media representatives, had registered for the conference. The denial of Meydan TV’s accreditation raises concerns about access and transparency at international events like COP29.

France-Azerbaijan tensions rise over COP29 remarks

In an escalation of diplomatic tensions, French Ecology Minister Anye Runache has canceled her planned trip to Azerbaijan following remarks by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. During a speech at COP29, Aliyev accused France and other European nations of historical and ongoing exploitation and oppression in their overseas territories, including mass arrests and killings in places like New Caledonia, Guadeloupe, and Martinique.

Runache, expressing her disapproval, stated that Aliyev’s comments were unacceptable and constituted a direct attack on France, its institutions, and territories. Runache highlighted that Azerbaijan’s use of the climate change agenda for its personal political gains was a blatant violation of the UNFCCC code of conduct.

She declared that such actions would not go unanswered, emphasizing that she would not visit Baku as previously planned. Instead, she affirmed France’s commitment to continue defending high ambitions in implementing the Paris Agreement, a decade after its inception, with the support of European partners.

ICDR urges release of political prisoners at COP29

During the COP29 climate summit, the International Coalition for Democratic Renewal (ICDR) and the Forum 2000 Foundation spotlighted the deteriorating human rights situation in Azerbaijan. A statement, endorsed by human rights defenders from various countries, criticized the Azerbaijani government for intensifying its crackdown on lawyers, journalists, activists, and human rights defenders, leading to a paralyzed civil society.

The statement highlighted the plight of over 300 political prisoners in Azerbaijan, facing harsh conditions and violence, with no judicial independence to mitigate these repressions. Prominent members of the ICDR and the broader Forum 2000 network, including Anar Mammadli, Bahruz Samadov, Akif Gurbanov, and Gubad Ibadoglu, are among those detained. Despite repeated condemnations from international human rights organizations, including the Council of Europe and the United Nations, Azerbaijan continues to disregard its international legal obligations.

The government is accused of using high-profile events like COP29 to project an image of stability and progress while ignoring international criticism and continuing to suppress political opposition. The ICDR has called for the unconditional release of all political prisoners and urged the Azerbaijani government to respect international human rights laws, review legislation targeting civil society, and cooperate fully with international human rights monitoring mechanisms.

The statement also appeals to the international community to support Azerbaijani civil society and ensure the participation of all political prisoners in court proceedings. It stresses the need for an independent international working group to assess the practice of arbitrary detention and suggests that Azerbaijan’s parliamentary delegation’s credentials be suspended if no improvements are made.

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