By Akbar Hasanov, Day.Az
Frank Schwabe (SPD), deputy of the Bundestag, Commissioner of the German government for Freedom of religion and belief, simply demonstrates the standard arrogance. He's screeching at the top of his lungs right now. Except that he doesn't kick himself in the chest with his heels. And why is that? Because he was banned from entering the territory of Azerbaijan. The one that he purposefully denigrated by nonstop playing on someone else's leather pipe.
Let me remind you, if anyone has forgotten, that in January of this year, the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE left this organization after they began a procedure that would eventually lead to the restriction of Azerbaijan's rights. That is, our delegation acted beautifully, playing ahead of the curve and slamming the door loudly. But who forced her to take such an extreme step? The very gentlemen and ladies who are now screaming about being declared persona non grata by our country.
And it was Frank Schwabe who marched in front of this column of denigrators of Azerbaijan. He accused Azerbaijan of "massive human rights violations in Karabakh." Speaking in more detail, it was said that "in 2023, the Azerbaijani side did not allow to visit the Lachin corridor and monitor the situation in Karabakh, as well as to meet with Azerbaijani "political prisoners".
In other words, we had an example of attempts to condemn Azerbaijan for doing something on our territory that complies with our laws. We were accused that Azerbaijan had the "audacity" to fight Armenian separatism, the Karabakh junta. The one that was politically supported, financed and armed by Armenia.
Which, I would like to note separately, no one from PACE has recognized. During the long years that the occupation of 20% of the territories of Azerbaijan lasted, PACE was not even able to condemn Armenia, which ignored its resolution 2085, adopted on January 26, 2016. That PACE resolution, let me remind you, demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Armenian Armed Forces from the region and the cessation of the use of water resources by the Armenian authorities as a means to benefit only one of the parties to the conflict.
Azerbaijan has restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity by its own efforts. But what did we see in response? An attempt to put pressure on our country. And what happened in PACE is one of the episodes of the dirty anti-Azerbaijani campaign. Herr Schwabe, having become a means of putting this campaign into practice, could not but understand that his actions would lead to opposition from Baku.
The German is picturesquely surprised that he and other persons who voted against the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE are included in the list of "undesirable persons". He pretends that he is not aware of the position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of our country, according to which, until the mandate of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE is restored, these persons will not be allowed to enter the territory of Azerbaijan.
In an interview with Frankfurter Rundschau, Schwabe claims that "Azerbaijan is isolating itself from the European community with such a maximally escalating step." This is nonsense and lies. Azerbaijan has become a victim of injustice, disrespect for its territorial integrity, for the memory of those who died in the battles for its restoration. And those who showed such disrespect are treated accordingly.
The same would be done in any other country in the world, including Germany. But, Schwabe "pretended to be a hose." "I expect Germany, together with the Council of Europe and other European countries, to respond diplomatically. The answer should come not from 75 individual deputies, but from the Council of Europe as an institution that has been dangerously attacked. This body, accordingly, will give an answer," he said.
He can wait for anything he wants. But the reality is that Azerbaijan has already said its word. No one in Baku is going to let Schwabe and other biased denigrators of our state into our country. As for the Council of Europe, back in February, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev clearly voiced our state's position on this issue.
"The rights of the Azerbaijani delegation must be restored. If the rights of the Azerbaijani delegation are not restored, then the issue of participation in the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights will be reviewed by the Azerbaijani side," Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said during talks with Secretary General of the Interparliamentary Union Martin Chungong. Since then, nothing has changed in the position of official Baku. And Schwabe's grumbling is, by and large, useless. Moreover, our country has already submitted an application to join the BRICS.