37 Amendments of Fabio Massimo CASTALDO related to 2021/2231(INI)
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
— having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights (‘ECHR’),
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8
Citation 8
— having regard to the reports of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe, notably the 2016 country monitoring report on Azerbaijan,1a _________________ 1a https://rm.coe.int/fourth-report-on- azerbaijan/16808b5581
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
— having regard to the report of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe ('PACE’) titled ‘Alleged violations of the rights of LGBTI people in the Southern Caucasus’,1a _________________ 1a https://pace.coe.int/en/files/29711/html
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
— having regard to the report of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe following her visit to Azerbaijan from 8 to 12 July 2019,1a _________________ 1a https://rm.coe.int/report-on-the-visit-to- azerbaijan-from-8-to-12-july-2019-by- dunja-mija/168098e108
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12
Citation 12
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
— having regard to the International Court of Justice Order on the Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan), of 7 December 2021,
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 b (new)
Citation 14 b (new)
— having regard to the Interim Resolution of the Council of Europe on the Execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, Mammadli Group against Azerbaijan, of 22 September 2022,
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 17 January 2019 on Azerbaijan, notably the case of Mehman Huseynov[1], and to other resolutions on Azerbaijan, in particular those concerning the human rights situation and the rule of law,
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas deadly military confrontations between Azerbaijan and Armenia continue to erupt periodically; as the ceasefire agreement of November 2020 has been violated multiple times; whereas the latest Azerbaijan’s military aggression of September 2022 has resulted in the occupation of 220 km2 of Armenian sovereign territory, the killing of hundreds of soldiers, and actions that represent war crimes and crimes against humanity such as the extrajudicial execution of Armenian prisoners of war, raping of women, and torture of civilians;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas Russian peace-keepers deployed in the region have been unwilling and unable to prevent further attacks from Azerbaijan, and their presence has been decreasing steadily, especially after the beginning of the Russian criminal war of aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU is committed to promoting a South Caucasus region that is secure, stable, peaceful and prosperous, basing its action on the promotion of democracy, rule of law and the respect for human rights; whereas Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine has serious security implications for the region; whereas the Treaty signed between Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliyev, and the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, the day before the begin of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has brought the relations between these two countries to the level of a fully-fledged alliance;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas a sustainable normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan requires that all violence cease and that all the root causes of conflict be addressed including the right of self determination of indigenous ethnical Armenian communities living in Nagorno-Karabakh;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas Azerbaijan’s record in terms of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is still unsatisfactory; dramatic with the government continuing to crackdown on critics and dissenting voices and the space for independent activists, NGOs, journalists, human rights defenders and political opposition being virtually extinguished;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas the EU and Azerbaijan have jointly agreed, through the 1996 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, on the general principle of respect for democracy, principles of international law and human rights; whereas the parties foresaw to cooperate on the respect and promotion of human rights particularly to those belonging to minorities;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
Recital H b (new)
Hb. whereas the human rights of LGBTIQ people in Azerbaijan are at best discarded and at worst actively fought against by government and state institutions; whereas ILGA Europe’s Rainbow Index shows Azerbaijan as having the worst deficit in legislation and policy aiming to protect LGBTIQ people, ranking it in the worst place among all Council of Europe countries;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H c (new)
Recital H c (new)
Hc. whereas hate speech and hate crime against LGBTIQ persons in Azerbaijan persist, often perpetrated by religious or political actors, leading to continued violation of their human rights; whereas in February 2022, Avaz Hafizli, a journalist and LGBTIQ human rights activist, was murdered by a family member, which spurred indignation on social media vis-à-vis the government’s poor track record of fighting against hate crime;1a whereas this is only one of the many examples of hate crimes, which due to lack of trust in law enforcement and their inaction, usually go unreported and unsanctioned; _________________ 1a https://globalvoices.org/2022/02/24/azerba ijani-journalist-and-queer-activist- murdered/
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H d (new)
Recital H d (new)
Hd. whereas PACE adopted in 2022 a resolution on violations of the rights of LGBTI persons in the Southern Caucasus and has made a number of requests to authorities to reform legislation in order to address such violations; whereas the PACE recommendations reflect the 2016 ECRI findings, which had noted an inexistence of data on LGBTI persons and their living conditions and that hate speech against them was widespread; whereas ECRI encouraged the government to develop an LGBTI Action Plan in order to raise awareness and promote understanding for equal treatment;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict has significantly hampered the development and stability of the whole South Caucasus region; is convinced that a sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot be achieved through military means but requires a comprehensive political settlement in accordance with international law, including the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, the 1975 OSCE Helsinki Final Act and the OSCE Minsk Group’s Basic Principles; reaffirms that, in order to be effective, a comprehensive peace treaty must include provisions that guarantee the integrity of the Armenian sovereign territory, the safety of Armenian population residing in Nagorno-Karabakh and other conflict- afflicted areas, and the prompt and safe return of refugees and internally displaced people to their homes;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Strongly condemns the clashes that eruptedAzerbajian’s aggression towards Armenian sovereign territory of on 12 September 2022 and theirits consequences for the peace process; reiterates that the territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan must be respected and underlines the EU’s readiness to be more actively involved in settling the region’s protracted conflicts; whereas Russian peacekeepers have not been able to maintain stability in the region and Russian military presence has been decreasing since Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to fully implement the tripartite ceasefire agreement of 9 November 2020; calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to avoid using inflammatory rhetoric that undermines the peace process and to implement measures to prepare their respective populations for peaceful coexistence; condemns Putin- style's rhetoric by Azeri President Alyiev, who described the Armenian political leadership as fascist in the aftermath of the September 2022 attack;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that the EU’s passive stance during and immediately after the 2020 war gave other regional actors, such as Russia and Turkey, the opportunity to gain influence; strongly supports, therefore, the initiative taken by the President of the European Council Charles Michel to convene and mediate bilateral meetings of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels and encourages the work of the EU’s special representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia; urges the governments of both countries to fully engage in the drafting of a comprehensive and mutually acceptable peace treaty and welcomes in this regard the meeting of the foreign affairs ministers of both countries on 30 September in Geneva;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note of the initial progress madediscussions on the process of border delimitation; welcomes the agreement to deploy a civilian EUn EU monitoring mission to build trust and contribute to the border commissions; recalls that only Armenia accepted to host the monitoring mission on its side of the border; calls on the Council and the EEAS to increase the resources and personnel allocated to the monitoring mission, and to extend its mandate for all the time needed to find a solution that guarantees the territorial integrity of Armenia;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Continues to be concerned about the fate of Armenian prisoners, both military and civilian, detained during and after the conflict and still held by Azerbaijan and welcomes the release of some of them; is abhorred by reports and footage of extrajudicial killings of Armenian prisoners of war by Azeri soldiers, urges Azerbaijani authorities to thoroughly investigate such incidents, which are clearly in violation of the obligation to humane treatment of prisoners of war, and bring the perpetrators to justice; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all the remaining detainees, including those captured during the recent military confrontations, and for them to be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Strongly insists that Azerbaijan and Armenia refrain from destroying cultural, religious or historical heritage and to guarantee that citizens are not prevented from exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief in this regard; calls for the restoration of damaged sites in accordance with UNESCO standards and indications; calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to quickly allow a UNESCO mission to visit both countries without preconditions;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recognises the strategicTakes note of the role played by Azerbaijan as a provider of fossil fuels to the EU and welcomes its willingness tobut stresses that the EU external action, including its agreements with third countribute even more to the EU’s objectives, should be based on EU core values, in terms of security and diversification of energy supply and climate neutralityparticular the respect for democracy, rule of law and human rights;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. WelcomesTakes note of the new memorandum of understanding between the EU and Azerbaijan signed by President Aliyev and Commission President von der Leyen in Baku on 18 July 2022; strongly regrets the statement by the Commission President that Azerbaijan is a reliable partner, since Azerbaijan continues its attacks on both Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia; recalls that even should Azerbaijan double its gas exports to the EU, it can only provide for a relatively small portion of the bloc’s gas demand, so the rather limited benefits of the gas deal do not outweigh the consequences of creating new dependencies on a regime that does not share and operates against the EU’s core values;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the new memorandum of understanding between the EU and Azerbaijan signed by President Aliyev and Commission President von der Leyen in Baku on 18 July 2022; laments however that such a memorandum is only focused on energy cooperation;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Takes note of the progress made on the negotiation of a new bilateral cooperation agreement and calls on the negotiating parties to envisage enhanced cooperation outside the energy sector in the new agreement with particular attention on human rights, rules of law, democracy and good governance;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the significantTakes note of the trade flows between the EU and Azerbaijan and the high level of EU investment in Azerbaijan;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. CRecalls that the 1996 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement is predicated on respect for democracy, principles of international law and human rights, and that the former have not been systematically upheld in Azerbaijan; calls on EU institutions to ensure that any deepening of relations between the EU and Azerbaijan remains conditional on the country making substantial progress on respect for the core values and principles of democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Deeply regrets the current state of press freedom in Azerbaijan; expresses its concern at the new law on media adopted in December 2021; calls for a swift review of that law in accordance with the recommendations included in the opinion of the Venice Commission of 17-18 June 2022; urges Azerbaijan to stop persecuting bloggers and, journalists and rights defenders;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Strongly insists that Azerbaijan cease all repression of political opposition activists; regrets that the Azerbaijani government still has not fully executed the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in the cases of the Mammadli group; reiterates the concerns raised by the Council of Europe in its resolution of September 22, 2022 on the execution of these judgments;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Recalls that the European Parliament’s position has been clear on non-discrimination with regard to LGBTIQ people, their protection against discrimination in law and practice, and the prosecution of all acts of abuse, hate speech and physical violence perpetrated against them;1a _________________ 1a Texts adopted: P9_TA(2020)0167
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Urges Azerbaijani authorities to adopt anti-discrimination legislation adding sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics as prohibited grounds, alongside the adoption of civil, administrative and/or criminal proceedings to protect people from hate speech and hate crimes; calls on authorities to reform criminal legislation by adding the previous grounds as aggravating circumstances and to combat LGBTIQ-phobic violence;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 c (new)
Paragraph 20 c (new)
20c. Reiterates the call by PACE on the authorities of Azerbaijan to investigate cases of wrongful arrest of LGBTIQ people and prevent and combat police violence against these people;
Amendment 345 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Strongly wWelcomes Azerbaijan’s repeatedofficial support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine as well as the humanitarian aid provided to Ukraine during the ongoing war; takes note that just one day before the criminal aggression perpetrated by Russia on Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin signed a wide-ranging agreement with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, deepening their diplomatic and military cooperation. and bringing the relation among the two countries to the level of an alliance; is worried by the ambiguity created by the signing of this agreement and calls on President Aliyev to clarify exactly what it entails;