BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 19. The resolution adopted by the European Parliament yesterday is factually unfounded and in itself contradicts the rule of law, Member of Azerbaijan's Parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy and State Building Kamal Jafarov said at today's plenary session of the Azerbaijani parliament, Trend reports.
"This resolution is fundamentally biased, unsupported by evidence, and rooted in double standards. It has been formulated under the influence of the Armenian lobby and seeks to misrepresent Azerbaijan’s legitimate national security measures as 'political repression.' Such an approach is unacceptable, particularly when it comes from a body like the European Parliament, which has no authority to make political judgments regarding individuals accused of serious crimes, such as treason against the state.
The resolution constitutes a blatant attempt to interfere in Azerbaijan's sovereign affairs. International law is clear in asserting that no state or international organization has the right to meddle in the internal matters of another sovereign state. Consequently, any political action taken by an external body regarding an ongoing criminal investigation amounts to an unlawful attempt to influence legal proceedings, thereby undermining the independence of the judiciary.
Furthermore, the European Parliament’s resolution exhibits a complete disregard for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. It fails to address the 30-year-long Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories and, in the aftermath of the Second Karabakh War, it levies baseless allegations against Azerbaijan, characterizing the country’s counter-terrorism measures in 2023 as 'ethnic cleansing.' Such accusations lack any moral or factual basis," MP noted.
According to the MP, if the European Parliament were genuinely concerned with human rights and international law, it would address the rights of the Western Azerbaijanis who were mass deported and forced into ethnic cleansing by Armenia, the war crimes and genocide committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan, and the rights of journalists and civilians killed by Armenian mines.
"Therefore, the people of Azerbaijan fully understand and see the hypocrisy of the European Parliament. The Azerbaijani people have no trust in any external international organization, and the integrity of the European Parliament, whose leaders and members have been imprisoned on corruption charges, has long been compromised.
The European Parliament members have lost touch with reality, as evidenced by their attempts to threaten sanctions and condition cooperation on a piece of paper they adopt.
However, they forget that Azerbaijan today is the strongest, most independent, and rapidly developing country in the region. Everyone can witness that, regardless of our size and strategic role, we do not bow to anyone's pressure. On the contrary, many member states of the European Union (EU) are interested in deepening their strategic partnership with Azerbaijan because this is based on mutual respect and real interests. Azerbaijan has signed a declaration on strategic partnership with 10 EU member countries.
Therefore, there is a significant difference between our relations with EU member states and the European Parliament. This difference shows that the European Parliament is on the wrong track and does not properly represent the interests of the people living in Europe.
We'll continue on our path, defending and strengthening the interests of the Azerbaijani people and our statehood on any platform. We will ensure peace and cooperation in the region.
Azerbaijan is always open to dialogue, but this dialogue must be based on equality and mutual respect.
No pressure, no biased resolution will ever divert the Azerbaijani people from the right path," he concluded.
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