Azerbaijan should be sanctioned, MEP says

 
“I totally agree that we need to change our dependency on gas and oil from autocratic regimes like Azerbaijan,” Austrian MEP Lena Schilling told Alpha News, commenting on the fact that despite the resolutions passed in the European Parliament condemning Azerbaijan’s crimes, the EU still prioritizes energy partnership with Azerbaijan over the protection of human rights.

“What we are seeing in this house is that we are adopting resolutions after resolutions and making a point clear that we will not be silent about civil society being arrested, about journalists being silenced. And that’s very important because human rights do not stop at any border. I think the key point is really to help the people in Azerbaijan right now. Help the people that are arrested.

After this climate conference in Baku, which I also attended, 13 people were arrested. And that’s a fight we will fight continuously. We are doing it now, and we will continue this fight because it’s just necessary. At the same time, we have three key messages. Of course, stop the dependency on oil and gas. Second, sanctions to Azerbaijan. And third, help the people there in the civil society, the activists, the journalists, and the opposition,” the MEP said.