Azerbaijani President Rejects U.S. Lawmakers' Letter

By Nailia Bagirova

BAKU (Reuters) – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Friday rejected what he called a "disgusting" letter from U.S. lawmakers who criticized his country's human rights record and urged it to free political prisoners before it hosts next month's COP29 climate conference.

The letter, signed by nearly 60 lawmakers, urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken to "press for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, hostages, and POWs, including ethnic Armenians, to enable a more conducive environment for successful diplomacy at COP29".

It warned that "provocative" Azerbaijani statements towards Armenia risked undermining peace negotiations between the two nations, who have fought two wars since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

Speaking in Jabrayil, a town recaptured from Armenian forces during the 2020 war, Aliyev called the letter "a disgusting appeal that cannot influence our will" and stated it had been created "to threaten and accuse us".

Azerbaijan's human rights record, which includes the detention of journalists and activists, is facing increasing scrutiny as it prepares to host delegates and media from around the world for the November climate conference.

Hikmet Hajiyev, Aliyev's foreign policy adviser, stated that Azerbaijan's hosting of the event should not be turned into "a political tool" and accused critics of attempting to distract from climate action.

Representatives of Ruben Vardanyan, a former Russian investment banker and top official in the ethnic Armenian leadership of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, filed lawsuits this week alleging he has been tortured, defamed by the media, and denied rights to a speedy trial in Azerbaijan.

Vardanyan has been detained for the past year since Baku's forces launched a swift offensive to reclaim Karabakh, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan where ethnic Armenians had enjoyed de facto independence since the 1990s.

In response to the complaint, Azerbaijan's prosecutor general stated that all of Vardanyan's rights were being respected and that he had received numerous visits from representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The prosecutor's office asserted, "His right to the presumption of innocence was not violated by the prosecutor's office or other state bodies, and he was not subjected to inhuman treatment or torture."

Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of ethnic cleansing in Karabakh, a claim Baku denies. The two countries have been engaged in intermittent discussions over a peace treaty for the past year.

On Friday, Aliyev accused Armenia of being insincere about completing a deal and of rearming for potential new conflict, warning it to "stop these dangerous games!"

Armenia, which this year withdrew from several long-held Azerbaijani border villages, recently stated that Azerbaijan does not appear interested in signing a treaty.