Violations of the law

Fazil Gasimov, an Azerbaijani economist and PhD student formerly detained in Turkey and extradited to Azerbaijan, has been on a hunger strike for 27 days in protest of what he calls politically motivated imprisonment. According to his brother, Nazim Gasimov, his health has significantly deteriorated, but he is being denied adequate medical care. Fazil is

On June 1, a peaceful protest calling for justice in the suspicious death of 17-year-old Elgün İbrahimov was met with harsh police intervention near the 28 May metro station in Baku. Protesters report being harassed, insulted, and subjected to verbal sexual abuse while detained at the Nasimi District Police Department. Elgün, a high school student,

The Azerbaijani government has reportedly stopped implementing rulings issued by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) since March 2024. According to lawyer Fariz Namazli, the state has not only ceased paying compensations but has also systematically refused to review cases in the Supreme Court based on ECHR judgments. “This is not just about avoiding

Former German MP Eduard Lintner has admitted in court that he received payments from Azerbaijan linked to the notorious “Azerbaijani Laundromat” scheme, a $2.9 billion corruption network exposed by OCCRP in 2017. The scheme was used to buy political influence in Europe while Azerbaijan’s government jailed journalists and activists at home. Lintner acknowledged the charges

Tensions grew when local activist Nijat Amiraslanov was arrested and sentenced to 15 days for “petty hooliganism” after distributing pamphlets about the case. 17-year-old high school student Elgun Ibrahimov died under suspicious circumstances in Ganja. While authorities claim he fell accidentally from a building, his family and local activists insist he was beaten to death.

The Ministry of Science and Education of Azerbaijan has unexpectedly changed the admission rules for lyceums and gymnasiums across Baku and other regions. According to the new policy, only 6th-grade students (applying for 7th grade) are eligible for entrance exams. Previously, students from 5th to 8th grade could apply. This last-minute decision has sparked widespread

The chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), Ali Karimli, said that Novruz Tagiyev, who worked as a security guard on public grounds, was tortured for 13 hours on the day he was detained by the police. Ali Karimli wrote on his Facebook page that Novruz Tagiyev was detained by four plainclothes police

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the state prosecutor’s request for 11 and 12-year prison sentences for journalists arrested in the “Abzas Media case.” In a statement, the committee’s program director, Carlos Martinez de la Serna, called the crackdown on independent media “shameful.” “CPJ condemns the 11 and 12-year prison sentences demanded by

Elchin Mammad spoke on the “Osmangizi” channel about any severe punishments for journalists arrested in the “Abzas Media case”, about recent court proceedings and the severe repressive situation in the country (1:07:00). The human rights defender believes that we are already at the peak of repression in the country and what is happening is aimed