Emergency question to the EU’s High Representative Ms. Caya Calla, was submitted today Thursday, May 24, 2025 – on the day of the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day – The MEP MEP – Nicolas Farantouris In view of the visit of the High Representative to Azerbaijan.
The Estonian High Representative visits Azerbaijan on April 25, but has not announced the agenda of talks.
As the Greek MEP points out “The question is reasonably questioned exactly what will be discussed with President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, amid escalating complaints about authoritarianism and violating human rights by the Azerbaijan government.”
According to international observers, in recent months Baku has been complained of drastically restricting freedom of expression, by violently suppressing peaceful demonstrations.
Authorities have made mass arrests of opposition. Dozens of citizens remain in custody with political motives. Journalists and activists are in prison after trials – parody.
International observers also point out that political prisoners are subject to torture in both police detention centers and prisons.
At the same time, Azerbaijan is burdened with the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Following the September 2024 military operation, more than 100,000 Armenians – almost all of the Armenian population of the region – became refugees in Armenia. A long period of humanitarian crisis followed, with a lack of food, medicines, hygiene products and other basic supplies in the area due to stopping traffic.
In view of them, the Left MEP and a member of the Security and Defense Committee, Professor Nikolas Farantouris, asked Ms Callas an urgent question about the purpose of her visit.
More specifically, he asks:
“What is the agenda and the content of the EU’s discussions with a ruler who is internationally denounced that he is constantly violating the rights of his citizens. Will the question of the rule of law and human rights be raised and under what terms? “
Also, Mr. Farantouris asks “what the European Commission intends to do on the major issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, who is affecting the-friend to Europe-the people of Armenia”.
Finally, she reminds Mrs Callas that “the European Parliament has recognized the Genocide of the Armenians, which is being honored today and Europe must prevent similar incidents in the future.”
It is recalled that recently Nicolas Farantouris had sent a corresponding urgent question to Kaya Callas in view of her unexpected visit to Ankara on January 24.
In his urgent question he had emphasized the respect for international law and Turkey’s aggressive behavior towards Greece and Cyprus and had requested that they be pointed out to the Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan, with Kaya Callas finally reporting at the Joint Press Conference with the Turkish Press.