Top Democrat expresses concern with Azerbaijan hosting COP29 climate conference

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed concern on Monday with Azerbaijan hosting the COP29 climate conference in November, pointing to the country imprisoning Armenian and pro-environmental activists.

Cardin, in a statement, said "hosting a major international conference like COP29 should come with responsibilities and expectations that host countries allow frank discussion of information and issues, which requires recognizing freedoms of speech and assembly."

"Azerbaijan has not done so," he said, urging the country's president, Ilham Aliyev, "to release those unjustly imprisoned by his government, including Armenian detainees, and community activists who peacefully demonstrated against poor labor practices and harmful environmental impacts of the Chovdar gold mine operation."

The Hill has reached out to Azerbaijan's embassy in the U.S. for comment.

Azerbaijan, located between Asia and Europe in the Caucasus Mountains, will host COP29 from Nov. 11-22 in the capital of Baku.

Azerbaijan was announced last December as the next host of the conference that brings together 197 countries and the European Union to advance goals committed to easing the global climate crisis.

The conference comes ahead of the 2025 Paris Agreement deadline for nations to put forward climate targets for the year 2035 that are more ambitious than their existing 2030 targets.

Azerbaijan has seen intense scrutiny as the conference's host because it's an oil and gas producer, and the decision to host came after Baku captured a breakaway region with Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, in September 2023, which prompted a mass exodus of the ethnic Armenian population.

Baku has also been criticized for jailing critics and independent media. Amnesty International this month called for the release of government critics detained by Azerbaijan, while Human Rights Watch did the same for independent media over the spring.

Cardin said Monday that “Azerbaijan has the potential to be an important member of the international community and partner to the United States," but that Baku must first release several detainees.

"Ahead of COP29 in November, I urge the Azerbaijani government to demonstrate its commitment to upholding human rights by releasing these individuals without delay," Cardin said.

Rachel Frazin contributed to this report.