Magerram Zeynalov & Grigor Atanesian
BBC News Russian
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When a young peace activist was jailed for 15 years last month for treason in Azerbaijan, the anger of his friends preceded the government, which placed him behind bars, mainly towards the European Union.
Bahruz Samadov, a 30-year-old doctoral student, faces one of the toughest sentences ever given to critics of President Ilham Aliyev’s 21-year rule. He refuses to make the claims as if they were manufacturing.
The EU “may flirt with Baku, but silence comes at its cost,” a critic complained.
Shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared Azerbaijan as a “important partner” in the EU’s efforts to separate from Russia’s natural gas.
Meanwhile, Aliyev reestablished control of the Breakaway Karabakh region, causing the departure of the entire Armenians. He also secured his fifth consecutive term in elections that were widely criticized by the Monitor and cracked down on opposition and freedom of the press.
The European Parliament last year imposed sanctions on Baku on the EU and called for it to rely on Azerbaijan’s gas exports. However, foreign policy leaders have eschewed public criticism of Aliyev.
When Kaja Kallas, the top EU diplomat, visited Baku in April, she was heavily criticized by Aliyev’s opponent for highlighting the “great potential” of the EU-Azerbaijan bond.
EEAS/European Union
EU foreign policy chief Kajakaras met President Aliyev in Baku last April
Aliyev justified the arrest of journalists for the need to “protect the media landscape from negative influences from outside,” and accused reporters of “receiving illegal funds from overseas.”
He has also long criticised international organizations that are biased and interfering with international politics, and has been ordered to close all the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the BBC’s Baku office.
EU policy, given Aliyev’s “free hand,” says Elder Mamedov, a former Latvian diplomat who effectively served as foreign policy advisor to the Social Democrats group in the European Parliament.
“The oppression, the arrests of opposition, the voices of bloggers and opposition parties have long been straining Baku Brussels’ relations,” he told the BBC. “Since the Russian attack in Ukraine, this issue has effectively disappeared from the agenda.”
The European Union rejects the claim.
“[The EU] It relates to a shrinking citizen space [Azerbaijan]”A spokesman spoke to the BBC and called on Baku to “release all those detained arbitrarily to exercise their fundamental rights.”
“The EU has consistently raised concerns both publicly and personally at all levels.
The EU wants to diversify where to acquire gas, in order to avoid relying on a single supplier, such as Russia.
Azerbaijan is not the biggest player as the overall share of EU natural gas imports remains at a modest 4.3% despite increased supplies.
However, some member states connected to Azerbaijan’s South Gas Corridor pipeline have a much higher share. Up to 40% of Bulgaria’s natural gas imports come from Azerbaijan, 15% for Italy and Greece.
This makes it difficult for the EU to present a united front, according to a senior European diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Europe in this situation does not have a vast amount of reliable leverage than Azerbaijan,” he said.
Without Azerbaijangas, there is no electricity in Europe, but that’s not the point, says Benjamin Godwin, a risk analyst who specializes in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
“The EU’s strategy is to have as many gas as possible from as many different locations as possible,” he says. “And it doesn’t depend on Azerigas, but we want to have more gas from Azerbaijan to ultimately reduce our dependence on Russia.”
An EU spokesman said the energy partnership “will not change our stance on the human rights situation in Azerbaijan.”
Aliyev has other advantages to Europe besides gas.
He has consistently supported the integrity of Ukrainian territory in the face of Russian invasion. This is a rare stance between former Soviet countries that the Kremlin saw as an ally.
Azerbaijan has not imposed sanctions on Russia, but it supplies humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.
Baku’s relationship with Moscow has dived into the last few months.
The Azerbaijan Airlines plane lost 38 lives last December and appears to have been accidentally shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile.
The crisis then deepened after the deaths of two Azerbaijani men in custody by Russian police.
By openly challenging Russia, Aliyev has sought to take on a bigger role in areas traditionally dominated by Moscow, experts say. However, he also presents himself to the West as an opponent of Vladimir Putin.
“Azerbaijan is attracting attention and they played it pretty well. They see that every side wants to be friends with them and use it in all directions,” a senior EU diplomat told the BBC.
Another well-placed European diplomat said: [Azerbaijan’s human rights record]But there’s not much we can do. ”
When seven Azerbaijani investigative journalists were given long prison conditions last month, the EU’s Diplomacy Services (EEAS) said it was a “worrisome development” and called for “immediate measures to ensure a safe and possible environment for all journalists.”
So far, the EU has kept silent about Barus Samadoff’s prison term for treason. However, his friend says he recently tried to fear his life and his safety.
