Europe accused of going smooth on Azerbaijan to keep away from shopping for Russian fuel

[ad_1] Magerram Zeynalov & Grigor Atanesian BBC Information Russian

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/6c2a/live/dad522f0-6940-11f0-a92d-1fc9e441053b.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/6c2a/live/dad522f0-6940-11f0-a92d-1fc9e441053b.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/6c2a/live/dad522f0-6940-11f0-a92d-1fc9e441053b.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/6c2a/live/dad522f0-6940-11f0-a92d-1fc9e441053b.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/6c2a/live/dad522f0-6940-11f0-a92d-1fc9e441053b.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/6c2a/live/dad522f0-6940-11f0-a92d-1fc9e441053b.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/6c2a/live/dad522f0-6940-11f0-a92d-1fc9e441053b.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/6c2a/live/dad522f0-6940-11f0-a92d-1fc9e441053b.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Getty Images A composite image showing two European Commission figures, Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas alongside Azerbaijan's Ilham Aliyev" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Getty Photos When a younger peace activist was jailed for 15 years for top treason in Azerbaijan final month, his associates' anger was directed primarily on the European Union, forward of the federal government that put him behind bars.

Bahruz Samadov, a 30-year-old PhD scholar, is dealing with one of many harshest sentences ever given to a critic of President Ilham Aliyev's 21-year rule. He rejects the cost as fabricated.

The EU "might hold flirting with Baku, however silence has its price", one critic complained.

Shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen declared Azerbaijan a "key accomplice" in EU efforts to maneuver away from Russian pure fuel.

In that point, Aliyev has re-established management of the breakaway Karabakh area, inflicting an exodus of its total Armenian inhabitants; he has additionally secured a fifth consecutive time period in an election broadly criticised by displays, and cracked down on opposition and press freedom.

The European Parliament referred to as on the EU final 12 months to impose sanctions on Baku and finish reliance on Azerbaijan's fuel exports. Nonetheless, prime overseas coverage officers keep away from publicly criticising Aliyev.

When Kaja Kallas, the EU's prime diplomat, visited Baku in April, she was closely criticised by Aliyev's opponents for emphasising "nice potential" for EU-Azerbaijan ties whereas no less than 21 main journalists had been detained in Baku.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/b6cf/live/6ae3f080-6962-11f0-b2d3-f75ba2a92ec7.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/b6cf/live/6ae3f080-6962-11f0-b2d3-f75ba2a92ec7.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/b6cf/live/6ae3f080-6962-11f0-b2d3-f75ba2a92ec7.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/b6cf/live/6ae3f080-6962-11f0-b2d3-f75ba2a92ec7.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/b6cf/live/6ae3f080-6962-11f0-b2d3-f75ba2a92ec7.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/b6cf/live/6ae3f080-6962-11f0-b2d3-f75ba2a92ec7.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/b6cf/live/6ae3f080-6962-11f0-b2d3-f75ba2a92ec7.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/b6cf/live/6ae3f080-6962-11f0-b2d3-f75ba2a92ec7.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="EEAS/European Union A woman with blonde hair and a black top sits on a white chair with a gold-leaf decoration" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> EEAS/European Union EU overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas met President Aliyev in Baku final April

Aliyev has justified arresting journalists by the necessity to "shield the media panorama from exterior adverse influences", accusing reporters of "illegally receiving funding from overseas".

He has additionally lengthy accused worldwide organisations of bias and meddling in home politics, and the Baku places of work of the UN, the Worldwide Crimson Cross Committee and the BBC have all been ordered to close down.

EU coverage has in impact given Aliyev "a free hand", says Eldar Mamedov, a former Latvian diplomat who served as overseas coverage adviser to the European Parliament's Social Democrat group.

"The repression, arrests of dissidents, bloggers, and opposition voices have lengthy strained Baku-Brussels relations," he advised the BBC. "Since Russia's aggression in Ukraine, this difficulty just about disappeared from the agenda."

The European Union rejects the allegation.

"[The EU] is anxious by the shrinking civic house in [Azerbaijan]," a spokesman advised the BBC, and has referred to as on Baku "to launch all these arbitrarily detained for exercising their basic rights".

"The EU has constantly raised its issues in any respect ranges, each in public and in non-public," together with throughout Kaja Kallas's go to to Baku, he added.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/c0a5/live/6e5329a0-6941-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/c0a5/live/6e5329a0-6941-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/c0a5/live/6e5329a0-6941-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/c0a5/live/6e5329a0-6941-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/c0a5/live/6e5329a0-6941-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/c0a5/live/6e5329a0-6941-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/c0a5/live/6e5329a0-6941-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/c0a5/live/6e5329a0-6941-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Map showing the Southern Gas Corridor" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> The EU needs to diversify the place it will get its fuel, to keep away from being depending on a single provider similar to Russia.

Azerbaijan is way from being the largest participant, as its total share in EU pure fuel imports stays a modest 4.3%, regardless of an uptick in provides.

However the share is far increased in some member states related to the Southern Fuel Hall pipeline from Azerbaijan. As much as 40% of Bulgarian pure fuel imports come from Azerbaijan, and for Italy and Greece it's 15%.

This makes it troublesome for the EU to current a united entrance, based on a senior European diplomat who spoke on situation of anonymity.

"Europe on this state of affairs doesn't have an enormous quantity of credible leverage over Azerbaijan," he mentioned.

The facility won't exit in Europe with out Azerbaijani fuel, however that isn't the purpose, says Benjamin Godwin, a danger analyst specialising within the Caucasus and Central Asia.

"The EU's technique is to have as a lot fuel from as many various places as doable," he says. "And whereas it isn't reliant on Azeri fuel, it wish to have extra fuel from Azerbaijan to finally cut back its dependence on Russia."

That vitality partnership "doesn't change our stance on the human rights state of affairs in Azerbaijan", the EU spokesman advised the BBC.

President Aliyev has different advantages to Europe in addition to fuel.

He has constantly supported Ukraine's territorial integrity within the face of Russia's invasion - a uncommon stance amongst ex-Soviet states seen by the Kremlin as allies.

Though Azerbaijan has not imposed sanctions on Russia, it has equipped Ukraine with humanitarian assist.

Baku's relations with Moscow have taken a dive in current months.

An Azerbaijani Airways aircraft crashed with the lack of 38 lives final December - apparently shot down by mistake by a Russian anti-aircraft missile.

The disaster then deepened following the deaths of two Azerbaijani males in Russian police custody.

By brazenly difficult Russia, Aliyev has sought to tackle a bigger position in a area historically dominated by Moscow, consultants say. However he additionally presents himself to the West as an opponent of Vladimir Putin.

"Azerbaijan has pocketed the eye they usually performed it fairly nicely. They're seeing that each one sides wish to be associates with them and they're making use of that in all instructions," the senior EU diplomat advised the BBC.

One other well-placed European diplomat mentioned: "We're completely not pleased with [Azerbaijan's human rights record], however there's not a lot we will do."

When seven Azerbaijani investigative journalists got lengthy jail phrases final month, the EU's diplomatic service (EEAS) mentioned it was a "worrying growth" and referred to as for "speedy steps to make sure a secure and enabling surroundings for all journalists".

Up to now the EU has stayed silent over Bahruz Samadov's jail time period for treason. However his associates say he not too long ago tried to take his life and worry for his security.