Azerbaijan mulls full withdrawal from Council of Europe

Baku is weighing a complete exit from the 46‑member Council of Europe after the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) suspended Azerbaijan’s voting rights earlier this year. President Ilham Aliyev announced the consideration of full withdrawal in response to the suspension, which was imposed in 2024 amid concerns over the country’s compliance with the body’s democratic standards and human‑rights obligations.

The suspension follows a series of criticisms by PACE and other European institutions regarding the conduct of elections, freedom of expression, and the treatment of political opponents in Azerbaijan. While the Council of Europe has offered avenues for remedial action, Baku’s leadership has signaled that the loss of voting privileges could prompt a decisive break. Analysts note that a withdrawal would remove Azerbaijan from a platform that monitors legal and political reforms across Europe, potentially reshaping the nation’s diplomatic engagement with the continent.