Freedom of association
Anti-corruption activist arrested on dubious charges, reportedly beaten in custody
Gubad Ibadoglu, a prominent Azerbaijani anti-corruption activist and opposition politician, was arrested in July 2023 alongside his wife, Irada Bayramova. On 24th July 2023, Baku's Narimanov District Court ordered Ibadoglu to four months of pretrial detention on charges of producing, acquiring, or selling counterfeit currency as part of an organised group. International non-governmental organisations have raised concerns that the charges are politically motivated due to his criticism of the government.
Ibadoglu, an economist and visiting fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE), also leads the opposition Democracy and Prosperity Movement. Shortly before his arrest, he had announced that he would set up a study abroad fund for Azerbaijani students, which would be financed in part with frozen assets confiscated from those involved in the so-called “Azerbaijani Laundromat” money-laundering operation, thus reclaiming "money stolen from the Azerbaijani people and economy by the Azerbaijani government." Human Rights Watch reported that both Ibadoglu and his wife were beaten during their arrest. Bayramova was later released and showed evidence of her injuries. She also said that she had been prevented from delivering her husband's medication to him. Authorities also searched Ibadoglu's office, claiming to have found approximately USD 40,000 in cash.
Turkish media reported that Azeri citizens, allegedly linked to the "Fetullahist Terrorist Organisation (FETO)," were arrested in connection with this case. The Azerbaijani Interior Ministry claimed Ibadoglu was identified as a FETO member by Anar Aliyev, one of the detainees. Ibadoglu has denied any association with the movement. Numerous international organisations and Azerbaijani NGOs have called for his immediate release, citing his deteriorating health since the arrest. The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, of which Ibadoglu is a member, strongly condemned his detention. Gubad Ibadoglu is also a member of other international civil society platforms, including the Black Sea NGO Forum.
Freedom of peaceful assembly
War veterans demand recognition in Baku protest
In July 2023, war veterans from the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War protested in front of government headquarters in Baku, demanding recognition of their status and rights. Following discussions with the Ministry of Defence, they were directed to the Cabinet of Ministers, which stated that further actions were being prepared to address their demands.
During the protests, one of the demonstrators claimed that veterans who had taken part in previous protests had been pressured by the police and administratively detained. A representative of the Ministry of Interior denied this in an interview with the Turan News Agency and said that “the participants of the war are surrounded by care.”
Freedom of expression
Journalists beaten, threatened over reporting on environmental protest
In June 2023, over a hundred residents of the village of Soyudlu came out to protest against a gold mining operation they claimed was polluting a nearby lake with acidic substances. When the protesters blocked access roads to the mine, police used excessive force, including tear gas, pepper spray and physical violence to disperse them. At least 15 people were reportedly injured, and ten were detained. Video footage of the police's actions, especially that of pepper spraying an older woman protester, has led to widespread criticism and calls for accountability. The police’s conduct also drew condemnation from international organisations, including the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and the Council of Europe.
Authorities, however, blamed the demonstrators for instigating the violence, without denying the use of excessive force by police officers.
Media freedom organisations recorded multiple instances of violence, intimidation and harassment against journalists due to their reporting on the Soyudlu protest. One journalist was physically assaulted and had her phone confiscated, while another, who published footage of police violence, was forced to delete the images after being beaten and detained. A third journalist was detained multiple times and also pressured to delete video footage.
The following incidents have been documented by the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalism Platform, while Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called for an end to the restrictions on independent journalism in Soyudlu.
On 22nd June, police prevented three journalists—Nargiz Absalamova (Abzas Media), Nigar Mubariz (Voice of America), and Elsever Muradzade—from entering the village of Soyudlu. After entering via a different route, they were detained by two police officers and several other plain-clothes individuals, who confiscated their phones. Mubariz was assaulted when she asked for her phone back, and Absalamova was physically pushed against a wall. The journalists were later released in a nearby town and had their phones returned to them.
The next day, Ulvi Hasanli, editor of Abzas Media, was summoned for questioning after posting images of the three journalists' detainment on Facebook. He refused to delete them and was released after four hours. Later, he was detained again after livestreaming a protest at the U.S. Embassy, but was released after an hour.
Also on 22nd June, journalist Elmaddin Shamilzade was summoned to the mobilisation office after publishing a video of police actions in Soyudlu. Authorities asked to see his military exemption, which he believed was retaliation for his reporting. The next day, he was detained, beaten, and threatened with rape until he deleted the video. He was then taken to the Baku City Police Department, where an officer threatened to jail him if he spoke out about the attack. Shamilzade sustained visible injuries.
On 25th June, police attempted to confiscate reporter Farid Ismayilov’s camera while he interviewed residents in Chovdar, a village near Soyudlu. According to his statement to the Committee to Protect Journalists, officials threatened to have his relatives fired if he published his report.