EU Parliament’s censure of Azerbaijan seen as first step in call for sanctions

The European Parliament, which has called for targeted sanctions against Azerbaijan for its military occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh, has refused to accept the credentials of the Azeri delegation for the Parliamentary Assembly.

‘The credentials of Azerbaijan’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) have been challenged on substantive grounds on the opening day of the 2024 winter plenary session,’ the Parliament said, 22 January.

Media reports in Azerbaijan and Armenia saw the move as a first step to calling for sanctions on Baku.

‘The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe threatens Azerbaijan with sanctions. The first step in this direction has already been made – PACE did not approve the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation,’ said JAM news, the mostly European-funded news platform that reports on the Caucasus.

Azeri forces launched a military offensive in September on the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, reportedly forcing more than 100,000 Armenians to flee their homes.

In October, Members of the European Parliament  overwhelmingly voted in favour of ‘targeted sanctions against Azerbaijani government officials responsible for ceasefire violations and human rights abuses in Nagorno-Karabakh.

In November, the US Senate voted unanimously for a bill that would block US military aid to Baku for the next two years.

https://pace.coe.int/en/news/9341/azerbaijan-s-delegation-challenged-at-opening-of-pace-session

https://jam-news.net/pace-threatens-azerbaijan-with-sanctions/