A senior Senate Democrat has a big problem with the host country of the upcoming U.N. climate summit — but not for its unapologetic defense of fossil fuels.
Rather, Senate Foreign Relations Chair Ben Cardin of Maryland is calling on Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and his government to release multiple political prisoners before COP29 gets underway this November in the city of Baku.
“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,” Cardin, who has led numerous congressional delegations to previous COPs, said in a statement Monday. “Azerbaijan has not done so.”
Among those Aliyev should release, Cardin said, include “community activists who peacefully demonstrated against poor labor practices and harmful environmental impacts of the Chovdar gold mine operation.”
