On July 24, it was reported that Dunja Mijatović, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, addressed a letter to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan, Vilayat Eyvazov over ecological protests in Söyüdlü, Gadabay on July 13. 

Mijatović expressed concern about the destruction of the protests and the arrest of the participants, as well as the restrictions on the work of journalists and human rights defenders, which took place in the village of Söyüdlü, Gadabay district. She noted that the police's use of disproportionate force against protesters, including tear gas, violates human rights. Mijatović emphasized the importance of ensuring the accountability of law enforcement agencies, as well as the need for adequate training of police officers on human rights standards.

Commenting on the restrictions on access to Söyüdlü village after the protests, the Commissioner expressed concern that this threatens residents' rights, including respect for personal life and freedom of movement. "Considering the importance of media freedom, independent journalists should be given full access to any public gathering, and they should be able to report safely without interference. The same principle applies to the work of human rights defenders, including lawyers. National authorities are obliged to ensure that human rights defenders, lawyers, and civil society activists can carry out their legal activities safely without the risk of reprisals, harassment, and other obstacles," the letter added.

In its response letter, the Azerbaijani side noted that the protest was organized by a group of people living abroad through social networks, and police officers were injured. "They incited the villagers to participate in mass protests, actively resist government institutions, incite riots, damage construction equipment, and held continuous discussions with the group members on these issues," the government's response letter added.

The letter stressed that people who deliberately disobeyed the legal requirements of the police during the actions resulting in the violation of public order and injured the police officers with various blunt instruments, including throwing stones, were treated humanely, and only administrative sanctions were taken.

Notably, on June 20, violence by Azerbaijani security forces against residents of Söyüdlü village, Gadabay district, caused widespread discontent. The confrontation was caused by the villagers' objection to creating a new artificial lake in Söyüdlü. According to the protesters, the lake, which will hold the gold mine's wastewater, could damage the economy, agricultural land, and people's health. The first such lake was built in 2012, a few hundred meters from Söyüdlü. Now, for the same reason, the construction of a new lake has alarmed citizens.