Ilham Aliyev stated: “By the way, taking into account that we did not participate in the election of judges for the European Court of Human Rights, all the decisions of the European Court, for us, are invalid. This is a position we elaborated, and I take this opportunity to announce that none of the decisions of the European Court are valid for us because we were deprived of our voting rights. We did not vote for those judges. We don’t know who these judges are. So, I think the Council of Europe shot itself in the foot. They wanted to discriminate against Azerbaijan, to isolate us, but actually, they isolated themselves from the Caucasus.”
And now Rousopoulos is losing his mind over it: “Two days ago, Aliyev made a statement in perfect English. I have to point out—I heard that it was meant for a domestic audience. I don’t know if English is even an official language in Azerbaijan—I doubt it is. So no, this wasn’t for internal consumption. It was aimed at everyone else—especially the Council of Europe.”
And then he let it slip: “He said, in the most cynical tone, that he doesn’t care about the Council of Europe, and that we need him more than he needs us, and that the world has changed.”
Naturally, the speech ended with the usual tired rants about “dictatorship,” “human rights,” and all the other buzzwords. And of course, he tried to sound important: “No one can blackmail the Council of Europe. The Council is not afraid of such statements, because it makes its decisions based on the rule of law, human rights, and democratic procedures.”
Honestly, who even wants to understand why Rousopoulos and people like him are so bothered by the fact that the Azerbaijani president speaks perfect English? Maybe they’d prefer someone like Pashinyan with his endless “uhhh,” “ummm,” and “caucasian bureau.” But that’s not the point.
Yes, once upon a time—maybe half a century ago—the Council of Europe was something serious, influential, even respected. But today? Let’s be real.
Back then, top-tier politicians actually wanted to get into organizations like this. But now? Even the most superficial glance at the current makeup of PACE shows an ugly picture. Mostly, it’s a dumping ground for politicians and MPs who couldn’t make it in their own national parliaments.
In their home countries, they’d actually have to make decisions and take responsibility for them. In PACE? They can go on and on about “dictatorship,” “democracy,” “human rights,” or whatever else happens to be trending.
So it’s no surprise that those who fail to get elected nationally try their luck in the European Parliament. And those too scared to handle serious political issues—but still hungry for the spotlight—flock to PACE.
It’s no wonder that within Europe, MEPs with their entourage of assistants constantly flying between Berlin and Strasbourg are mockingly called “migratory birds,” and the parliament itself—“the Mickey Mouse Parliament” or even a “traveling circus.”
But hey, “MEP” or “PACE delegate” still sounds impressive. And where there’s prestige, there’s political corruption—or, to put it bluntly, selling their influence.
Just think about the constant stream of corruption scandals in the European Parliament. The Eva Kaili case is a prime example—but she’s hardly alone. And if you start digging into the backgrounds of those who yell the loudest about “democracy” and “human rights,” you’ll find plenty of skeletons—ranging from serving the interests of various power centers to good old-fashioned bribery.
Some sell out for peanuts—say, to network groups like the Armenian lobby. Others aim higher and find bigger clients.
And this is where the so-called “deep state” or pseudo-liberal elite comes in—trying to impose authoritarian rules on global politics while screaming about “freedom” and “human rights.”
The Council of Europe, in this context, has become a tool to punish entire countries for daring to pursue foreign and domestic policy based on their own interests.
Azerbaijan knows this firsthand. Until recently, these kinds of “Euro-parliamentary transformations” in world politics were largely ignored. But now the game has changed. Donald Trump came to power in the U.S., and he declared open war on the deep state—not just in words, but in actions.
And suddenly, the Euro-bureaucrats are panicking. What now? To prove they’re still relevant—still worth something—they resort to the dumbest, ugliest tricks in the book. Like more empty talk about “dictatorship.”
That’s the bigger picture. Now let’s talk specifics. As President Aliyev reminded everyone, all of Azerbaijan’s attempts to involve PACE in resolving the Karabakh issue failed—because most of the deputies were blatantly anti-Azerbaijani.
He also pointed out: “The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe decided to punish Azerbaijan for restoring its sovereignty. In September 2023, separatists in Karabakh were fully eliminated. And in January 2024, PACE stripped our delegation of voting rights—for that very reason.”
Let’s call it what it is: European deputies refused to recognize Azerbaijan’s delegation in PACE for an outrageous reason—they wanted to punish a country for restoring its territorial integrity.
So it’s completely logical—and legal—that Azerbaijani deputies didn’t participate in electing ECHR judges. And that’s why Baku doesn’t recognize their decisions. Simple as that. Besides, let’s be honest: despite all the PR hype, the ECHR has never proven itself to be an effective tool for defending justice and human rights. And not just because its judges spent years debating who could hang laundry on whose balcony.
Take, for example, the outrageous case of Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov. Armenian occupiers held them illegally for eight years. Eight. And in all that time, the Council of Europe and the ECHR couldn’t muster the political will to respond. No reaction even to verified reports about torture and abuse of Azerbaijani prisoners and hostages.
But when it comes to issuing rulings in favor of so-called “political prisoners,” the ECHR works like a conveyor belt—or like a printer gone berserk. The truth is, Strasbourg and Brussels just weren’t ready for Azerbaijan to stand its ground and defend its interests—rather than beg for approval from the “white masters.” That’s a serious blow to the racist egos and authoritarian habits of many who sit in Strasbourg’s Palace of Europe. It’s also a humiliating defeat. Especially when they realize that the world really has changed—and they can no longer sneer, “Who cares what Azerbaijan thinks?”
Let’s be honest: the Council of Europe should’ve thought about this years ago—back when they were happily drowning what was left of their reputation in Armenian brandy, Russian vodka, or whatever else was on offer. Now? All that’s left is to eat the consequences with a very large spoon.
Nurani
Translated from minval.az
