1. Austria: The Basic Act on Social Assistance in Austria: A Step Back for Human Rights, 17 October (German only) 2. “Austria: SLAPP lawsuit against SOS Balkanroute dismissed: Success for civil society in Austria”, 19 July (German only) 3. “Austria: Council of Europe criticizes prison conditions in Austria: Amnesty International calls for reforms”, 27 June (German only) AZERBAIJAN Republic of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan’s blockade of a key route into the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh endangered the lives of thousands of people and, followed by a military offensive, forced most of the ethnic Armenians to flee the region. The government’s crackdown on freedom of expression intensified. Journalists, human rights defenders and activists were arrested in retaliation for their work. Peaceful protests were suppressed, and the work of media outlets and independent organizations remained unduly restricted. Women and girls continued to face gender-based harassment and violence. BACKGROUND On 19 September, Azerbaijan launched a major military offensive to disarm and disband the de facto authorities in the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Within hours its forces had regained control over the whole region, and within a few days in September and October more than 100,000 people – almost all of NagornoKarabakh’s ethnic Armenian population – had fled to Armenia.1 Those displaced faced economic hardships and uncertainty as no significant progress had been made by Azerbaijan to ensure their right to return in safety and dignity by year’s end (see Armenia entry). Azerbaijani authorities promised amnesty to those who had fought for the de facto authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh, except alleged perpetrators of war crimes. Several of Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian leaders were arrested and charged with war crimes The State of the World’s Human Rights as they tried to leave the region for Armenia. In December, Azerbaijan freed 32 Armenian prisoners of war after agreeing to work towards a peace deal with Armenia. The agreement also paved the way for Azerbaijan to host COP29, the global climate summit to be held in November 2024. The authorities used the military victory to further cement their rule and entrench their clampdown on dissent. Azerbaijan’s human rights record was reviewed in the UN Human Rights Council’s UPR in November.2 VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW For nine months prior to the military offensive in September, Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin corridor, a road connecting NagornoKarabakh to Armenia, caused critical shortages of basic necessities including food, medicines and fuel, and a humanitarian crisis in the breakaway region. In February, the International Court of Justice ordered “unimpeded movement” in both directions, but this was ignored. Azerbaijani authorities insisted that Nagorno-Karabakh be supplied from territory controlled by Azerbaijan or that supplies from Armenia be subjected to thorough inspections, which the Armenian side rejected.3 No substantive progress was reported in investigating alleged war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law in previous years, including disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks by Azerbaijani military forces as well as credible evidence of violence, including killings, of civilians and prisoners of war by Azerbaijani forces. Impunity for these crimes continued to underline ongoing concerns over the Azerbaijani authorities’ commitment to ensure protection of civilians in NagornoKarabakh. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ASSOCIATION Restrictive NGO legislation continued to impose barriers such as arbitrary denial of 87