However, neither the violation of Armenian borders nor the persecution of civil activists prevented the European Union from again declaring that Baku is a “reliable partner” for it in supplying gas to Europe.
Let us recall that in July, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, visited Baku and signed a memorandum on energy cooperation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The document implies doubling the capacity of the Southern Gas Corridor. According to the memorandum, next year Azerbaijan will increase gas pumping to the EU from the current 8 to 12 billion cubic meters, and by 2027 - to 20 billion.
Civil activists in Azerbaijan consider this European policy hypocritical. “This [agreement] should not push into the background such problems as pressure on human rights and freedoms and repression against activists,” said the famous Azerbaijani opposition politician Bakhtiyar Hajiyev. “Otherwise, the EU will replace its energy dependence on a country led by an authoritarian leader, whom it strengthens by purchasing gas and oil from him, with the purchase of gas and oil from a country ruled by another authoritarian leader.”
Azerbaijani researcher Arzu Geybulla, known for her knowledge of the history of peacekeeping, believes that Europe has never been interested in the state of democracy in her country.
“Azerbaijan was too far from Europe for Europe to care about it. And yes, Azerbaijan’s natural reserves were more important than its track record on the democratic front,” Geybulla concludes.
According to human rights activists, there are almost a hundred political prisoners in Azerbaijan, including activists, politicians and journalists. Some of them were deported from Europe to be imprisoned in their home countries. Reporters Without Borders notes that "President Ilham Aliyev has destroyed any semblance of pluralism in the country and has been ruthlessly trying to silence remaining critics since 2014." And at the same time, the Aliyev family owns assets in Europe.