Aliyev Says Azerbaijan Is Considering Full Withdrawal from Council of Europe

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said that his country is considering a complete withdrawal from the Council of Europe, arguing that Azerbaijan has been treated unfairly by the organization following the suspension of its voting rights in the Parliamentary Assembly.

Speaking at the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum on July 13, Aliyev said Azerbaijan was evaluating the possibility of leaving the Council of Europe entirely rather than merely suspending its participation.

“We are considering a complete withdrawal from the organization. Not only freezing or suspending our membership, but leaving the institution altogether,” Aliyev said.

According to the president, such a decision would have little practical impact inside Azerbaijan.

Aliyev argued that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) had adopted an “unjust” decision by refusing to ratify the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation in January 2024.

He said Azerbaijan would return to PACE only if its delegation’s voting rights were fully restored.

“If we have no voting rights, why should we be there? Our delegation made the right decision by refusing to participate,” he said.

Aliyev also claimed that the Secretary General of the Council of Europe had contacted him in an effort to prevent Azerbaijan from leaving the organization and to find a solution to the current dispute.

The president further stated that, because Azerbaijan had not participated in the election of judges to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for the past two years, the Court’s judgments “have no force” for Azerbaijan.

Relations between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe have deteriorated sharply since January 2024, when PACE refused to ratify the credentials of Azerbaijan’s parliamentary delegation, citing concerns over the country’s failure to fulfill its commitments regarding democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Following the decision, Azerbaijan barred a number of PACE members from entering the country and suspended participation in the Assembly’s activities.

Aliyev also addressed Azerbaijan’s relations with the United States, calling for the complete repeal of Section 907 of the U.S. Freedom Support Act, which restricts direct U.S. government assistance to Azerbaijan.

He argued that the amendment has become obsolete, particularly after Azerbaijan and Armenia initialed a peace agreement in the United States in 2025 with the participation of U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to Aliyev, Azerbaijan has since unilaterally lifted restrictions on Armenia, allowing the transit of more than 40,000 tons of cargo from Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries through Azerbaijani territory. He also said Azerbaijan has supplied Armenia with more than 10,000 tons of petroleum products.

“The amendment has completely outlived its purpose and should be fully abolished,” he said.

The latest remarks come amid continuing tensions between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe over human rights, political prisoners, media freedom and the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.

Earlier this month, PACE President Petra Bayr said Azerbaijan would need to meet several conditions before normal relations with the Assembly could be restored. These include lifting travel bans imposed on PACE members, releasing a number of internationally recognized political prisoners, and demonstrating a renewed commitment to the Council of Europe’s fundamental values.

Azerbaijan joined the Council of Europe in 2001, undertaking commitments related to democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Human rights organizations currently estimate that 328 political prisoners remain in Azerbaijani prisons, while the Azerbaijani government rejects the existence of political prisoners and maintains that all convictions are based on criminal offenses.