Elbayi Karimli, a member of the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP), has reportedly been placed in a disciplinary confinement cell (commonly referred to as “karser”) while serving his prison sentence.
The Azadlıq newspaper, affiliated with the APFP, reported the incident on July 13, citing that Karimli had spoken out critically in front of representatives from the Ministry of Justice and the Penitentiary Service during their visit to the correctional facility. According to the report, Karimli declared that he had been falsely accused and imprisoned, after which he was allegedly beaten and placed in solitary confinement.
No official information has been provided regarding when Karimli was sent to the punishment cell or for how long he is expected to remain there.
Karimli was arrested in August 2023 after allegedly writing the word “Stalin” on a statue of former president Heydar Aliyev. In 2024, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced him to six years in prison under charges of possessing a large quantity of narcotics with intent to sell.
The Supreme Court later reduced the sentence to five years, removing the charge related to drug sales but upholding the conviction for possession.
In recent months, nearly 10 APFP members have been sentenced to administrative detention, while criminal cases have been opened against at least 15 others. All of them deny the charges and claim they are being targeted for their political beliefs and activism.
The incident raises continued concerns over the treatment of political prisoners in Azerbaijan and the use of punitive measures against dissenting voices.
English (UK) 
Azərbaycan dili