European Parliament criticized Azerbaijan in their resolution on European neighborhood policy, expressing regret over “unclear vision and hesitation” on the issue of Azerbaijan’s pursuit of the Association Agreements.

The MEPs expressed concern by deficiencies in the fields of democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Azerbaijan.

The European Parliament “insists therefore that Azerbaijan show its commitment by stepping up its relevant standards, including freedom of speech and association and allowing the democratic opposition to enjoy their rights; insists that the release of political prisoners and an end to the harassment of political activists, human rights defenders and journalists are the necessary preconditions for any agreement on a strategic modernisation partnership with Azerbaijan.”

The resolution criticized recent presidential elections and deplored “the lack or respect for international standards shown in the run-up to the presidential elections which took place on 9 October 2013, including candidates being denied registration on procedural grounds, and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the 14 Azerbaijani opposition politicians, journalists and human rights activists imprisoned during the past months, including Tofiq Yaqublu and Ilgar Mammadov.”