ProtectDefenders.eu has been informed that the Azerbaijani government has unprecedentedly intensified its repression of civil society after the presidential elections on 7 February 2024 and the parliamentary election on 1 September 2024. The repression is believed to be closely related also to the upcoming COP29 Conference that will be held in Baku in November 2024. In fact, prominent climate activists have been specifically targeted for their advocacy ahead of the conference.
This wave of crackdown has increased to the point that almost no independent civil society actor is free in the country. Azerbaijani human rights groups estimate that hundreds of people are behind bars in the country on politically motivated charges. A new wave of detentions is currently under way, with dozens of activists and media figures arrested on baseless, serious criminal charges.
In the past weeks we have received several alerts of severe violations against human rights defenders and media workers. Among those targeted is Gubad Ibadoghlu, a well-known academic and anti-corruption expert. Dr. Ibadoghlu was violently arrested on July 23, 2023. During his nine-month detention, his chronic health conditions deteriorated sharply as a result of the authorities’ refusal to provide him with adequate medical treatment. Dr. Ibadoghlu is currently under house arrest. If convicted, he could face up to 17 years in prison.
Another emblematic case is that of Anar Mammadli, a prominent human rights defender and a founding member of the recently formed Climate of Justice Initiative, a civil society undertaking that seeks to use COP29 to promote civic space and climate justice in Azerbaijan. Mammadli was arrested on April 29, 2024.
ProtectDefenders.eu has also been informed about the heavy crackdown on media and freedom of expression in the country. At least 18 journalists and other individuals affiliated with Abzas Media, Toplum TV and Kanal 13, the last remaining independent outlets in Azerbaijan, are either behind bars or otherwise implicated in baseless criminal prosecutions. Just on August 21, 2024, authorities arrested Bahruz Samadov, a PhD candidate at Charles University in Prague and a regular contributor to numerous international and regional publications and media, while he was visiting Baku to spend time with his grandmother. Samadov is in pre-trial detention facing treason charges, widely believed to be related to his outspoken peace activism. On July 22, 2024, the authorities arrested another researcher, Igbal Abilov, also on spurious treason charges. He, too, remains in pretrial custody.
These cases reflect of a concerning pattern of criminalisation, arbitrary arrests, and detention of opposing and critical voices through retaliatory prosecutions, aimed at the total silence of civil society. They also highlight strong concerns over the possibility of a free participation of civil society at COP29, as it appears clear that the government aims to inhibit individuals and groups from participating to the conference. Nevertheless, the hosting of COP29 in Azerbaijan is a critical opportunity to mark strong concern about the government crackdown on independent civil society and press for an end to abuse.
