Azerbaijan may review withdrawal from Council of Europe

Since Azerbaijan joined the Council of Europe, this organization has been taking a biased position against it. Let me give you an example. It develops an anti-Azerbaijan document based on the denunciations of traitors in the country and those who carry out a smear campaign against Azerbaijan abroad.

Chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Defense, Security, and Anti-Corruption Ziyafat Asgarov made the remarks in an interview to Report.

"This body's position against Azerbaijan has always been based on double standards. Frankly, Azerbaijan also suffers from double standards because many representing the organization see it as a Christian club. As Azerbaijan is a Muslim-majority country, we face such an attitude. The PACE considered democratic all the elections held by former presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan in Armenia since early 2000. However, when Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan came to power, he confirmed the electoral fraud in Armenia. The Council of Europe considered the elections of Nikol Pashinyan legitimate as well, although Pashinyan claimed that all the elections held by his time were fraudulent. A respectable organization should have reacted to this statement," said the Committee Chairman.

"The Armenians recently held illegal "elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh and elected a "president." Many bodies rejected this "election show." However, the Council of Europe, as always, remained silent about this issue. Both Azerbaijan and Armenia are members of this organization and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. How can this body not react to the occupation of its member's territory by another participant of it? Where is the justice of Europe?"

Asgarov did not rule out Azerbaijan's withdrawal from the Council of Europe.

"We can mull the withdrawal. This issue, of course, requires in-depth discussions. The final agreement depends on the decision of the parliament," he stressed.