HÜDA PAR’s Human Rights and Legal Affairs Presidency has condemned the Azerbaijani administration’s decision to declare 31 Turkish citizens, including party officials, “undesirable persons,” calling for the immediate reversal of what it described as an attempt to suppress criticism of human rights violations.

In a written statement, the presidency also urged the Government of Türkiye to take urgent diplomatic action to protect the rights and legal interests of its citizens.

The statement came after Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office issued international arrest warrants against seven individuals in Türkiye and the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry declared 31 Turkish citizens “undesirable persons.”

Those affected include HÜDA PAR Deputy Chairman Yahya Oğraş and the party’s Batman Provincial Deputy Chairman Sait Seyitoğlu, according to the statement.

Describing the decisions as a grave development from both political and legal perspectives, HÜDA PAR said the Azerbaijani administration was increasingly using legal and diplomatic measures to silence criticism of alleged human rights violations.

The party stressed that the individuals targeted were not limited to politicians, but also included journalists, writers and people from other professional backgrounds.

“These decisions clearly demonstrate that the Azerbaijani administration is turning legal and diplomatic sanctions into a tool of pressure against human rights criticism,” the statement said.

It added that attempts to silence those defending rights and justice through such measures were incompatible with the fundamental principles of international law and human rights.

Emphasizing the universal importance of justice and human dignity, HÜDA PAR said no state should use its sovereignty as a shield to conceal human rights violations.

“Defending human rights is not a crime; it is a requirement of human dignity,” the statement said, rejecting what it described as baseless decisions against Turkish citizens who had taken a principled stance.

The party called on the Azerbaijani administration to revoke the designations immediately, stressing that criticism of human rights violations should not be met with punitive legal or diplomatic measures.

HÜDA PAR also called on the Government of Türkiye to assume its responsibility to safeguard the rights of its citizens and pursue diplomatic initiatives without delay.

“Protecting the honor and rights of its own citizens is the most fundamental duty of the state,” the statement said, urging Ankara to act resolutely and at the highest diplomatic level.

The party said it would continue to closely monitor developments surrounding the decisions.

The controversy raises broader questions about the protection of freedom of expression, the right to defend human dignity and the responsibility of governments to ensure that legal and diplomatic mechanisms are not used to intimidate those who raise concerns about human rights. (ILKHA)