News

MEPs Call on EU to Impose Sanctions on Azerbaijan over Ongoing Crackdown on Critics

Members of the European Parliament have issued a joint statement condemning the latest prison sentences handed down to journalists, researchers, and activists in Azerbaijan, calling on the EU to impose targeted sanctions against Azerbaijani officials responsible for human rights violations. Mounir Satouri, Chair of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights, Nils Ušakovs, Chair of […]

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Police Beat Minors in Azerbaijan — Why Is the State-Aligned Media Silent?

A recently leaked audio recording has sent shockwaves through Azerbaijani society. It allegedly captures police officers from Baku’s Khatai District violently beating, insulting, and humiliating minors. The disturbing content has reignited public anger over police brutality — yet for many, it comes as no surprise. Anyone in Azerbaijan who has had even a single encounter

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Police Seize Father’s Car of Detained Activist Möhyəddin Orucov over Alleged Fine of 40,800 AZN

The father of imprisoned activist Möhyəddin Orucov, a member of the “İşçi Masası” movement, has had his vehicle confiscated by traffic police due to an alleged unpaid fine amounting to 40,800 AZN (approx. €21,800). Orucov’s family told Meydan TV that the incident occurred on June 17 while they were en route to visit him at

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Sanitary and Hygiene Concerns in Azerbaijani Prisons

Tribunat analyzes detention conditions in the context of national and international law Recent concerns shared on social media about the conditions in Azerbaijan’s pre-trial detention centers and penitentiary institutions have sparked public debate. Information made public by detainees and prisoners suggests that sanitation levels in these facilities fall far short of standards compatible with human

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Ahmad Mammadli at Risk of Losing His Sight

Doctor at detention center warns of serious health deterioration Ahmad Mammadli, a civic activist and founder of Yoldash Media, is at risk of losing his eyesight, according to a statement released by his Defense Committee. The committee reported that a doctor who examined Mammadli at the detention center warned that he could lose vision in

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“Toplum TV Case”: Reading of the Indictment Completed — Proceedings to Continue on 30 June

Today, a court hearing was held in the “Toplum TV case.” The remaining parts of the indictment were read for defendants Akif Qurbanov, Alesker Mammadli, Ruslan Izzetli, Ramil Babayev, Ali Zeynalov, Mushfig Jabbarov, Ilkin Amrahov, Farid Ismayilov, and Elmir Abbasov. During the hearing at the Baku Serious Crimes Court, presided over by Judge Azer Taghiyev,

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Allegations of Police Violence Against Teenagers: “Police in this country have been given so much power…”

A lawyer says that although Azerbaijan has mechanisms to hold police accountable for abuse, the law is not enforced effectively. Videos have circulated on social media allegedly showing teenagers subjected to police violence in Azerbaijan. On June 19, blogger Mehman Huseynov posted a video claiming that officers from Police Station No. 37 of the Khatai

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Sevinc Vagifgizi: What Fear Can Prison Hold for Those Who Have Faced Death?

On 20 June, during the final hearing of the “Abzas Media case,” Sevinc Vagifgizi (Abbasova), the imprisoned editor-in-chief of Abzas Media, delivered a powerful final statement before the court sentenced her to nine years in prison. Below is the full text of her statement: Independent journalism has always been a clandestine act in Azerbaijan —

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Azerbaijan: Seven Journalists Sentenced in Latest Shocking Crackdown on Free Speech

On 20 June 2025, the Baku Court of Serious Crimes handed down harsh prison sentences ranging from seven and a half to nine years to seven media workers affiliated with Abzas Media and Radio Free Europe. The charges — including “currency smuggling,” “money laundering,” “tax evasion,” and document forgery — have been widely denounced by

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