U.S. top Democrat concerned about Azerbaijan hosting COP29

PanARMENIAN.Net - Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed concern on Monday, September 9 with Azerbaijan hosting the COP29 climate conference in November, pointing to the country imprisoning Armenian and pro-environmental activists, The Hill reports.

Cardin, in a statement, said “hosting a major international conference like COP29 should come with responsibilities and expectations that host countries allow frank discussion of information and issues, which requires recognizing freedoms of speech and assembly.”

“Azerbaijan has not done so,” he said, urging the country’s president, Ilham Aliyev, “to release those unjustly imprisoned by his government, including Armenian detainees, and community activists who peacefully demonstrated against poor labor practices and harmful environmental impacts of the Chovdar gold mine operation.”

Azerbaijan, located between Asia and Europe in the Caucasus Mountains, will host COP29 from Nov. 11-22 in the capital of Baku.

Azerbaijan has seen intense scrutiny as the conference’s host because it’s an oil and gas producer, and the decision to host came after Baku captured Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, which prompted a mass exodus of the ethnic Armenian population.

Baku has also been criticized for jailing critics and independent media. Amnesty International this month called for the release of government critics detained by Azerbaijan, while Human Rights Watch did the same for independent media over the spring.

Cardin said Monday that “Azerbaijan has the potential to be an important member of the international community and partner to the United States,” but that Baku must first release several detainees.

“Ahead of COP29 in November, I urge the Azerbaijani government to demonstrate its commitment to upholding human rights by releasing these individuals without delay,” Cardin said.