Introduction
Escalating Crackdown: Growing Number of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan
The growing number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan highlights the ongoing deterioration of civic space and demonstrates how risky independent activism has become under this authoritarian regime. In June 2025, the Union for the Freedom of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan added 21 new names to its list, bringing the total to 375. Activists, journalists, opposition leaders, and members of human rights organisations are reportedly being detained on politically motivated charges, instilling fear and discouraging citizens from participating in public life. This use of the judiciary as a tool to suppress dissent is eroding trust in state institutions and diminishing the capacity of civil society to act in its watchdog role.
In addition to direct repression, restrictions on election observation missions deepen the isolation of civil society and remove one of the last mechanisms for independent oversight of electoral processes. The fact that organisations such as the OSCE/ODIHR and international observer networks can no longer monitor elections means fraud and abuses remain underreported domestically and poorly documented internationally. Moreover, the insufficient response of some European institutions, particularly their failure to demand conditions be met, exacerbates the situation by allowing the Azerbaijani authorities to act with impunity.
These developments signal a significant risk to the future of civic activism in Azerbaijan and drastically limit the space for civil society to operate. Without stronger international protection and solidarity from the European community, independent voices remain exposed, and the prospects for a democratic transition become increasingly remote.
Freedom of Association
Harsh Sentences for Researcher and Peace Activist on Treason Charges
In June 2025, the Baku Grave Crimes Court sentenced Azerbaijani peace activist, researcher, and OC Media contributor Bahruz Samadov to 15 years in prison on treason charges following a closed trial, with only his grandmother, friends and activists allowed to attend the verdict. Samadov, who disappeared in August 2024 while visiting Baku from Prague, has denied the charges and claims there is no evidence of collaboration with Armenian security services. He reportedly attempted suicide and has since gone on a hunger strike, leaving him extremely weak and undergoing treatment in a prison hospital.
The case comes amid a broader crackdown on dissent in Azerbaijan, which saw Talysh researcher Igbal Abilov sentenced to 18 years in prison on treason charges on 20th May. Abilov, a Talysh researcher and lecturer at the Belarusian State University who specialises in the history and ethnography of ethnic minorities in the South Caucasus, Turkey and Iran, was detained by Azerbaijani security forces on 22nd June 2024 while conducting field research on Talysh culture. Although he was released the same day, he was later prevented from leaving the country and his passport and phones were confiscated. One month later, on 22nd July, he was arrested again after being called to a police station under the pretext of collecting his belongings. Two days later, a court ruled to hold him in pre-trial detention on charges including high treason, calling for resistance against the state on behalf of a foreign agent and incitement to ethnic hatred, and banned him from even sharing the trial documents with his lawyer or family.
Freedom of Peaceful Assembly
Police use excessive force at protests
In June 2025, several residents of Sığırlı in the Kurdamir district blocked the Baku–Gazakh highway to protest the lack of access to drinking water. The protesters alleged that a local council employee attacked a resident, a small business owner, while demanding money. An altercation followed, during which the resident was injured. In response, locals organised a demonstration, calling on the authorities to take measures to prevent harassment of protesters.
In Baku, residents of Montin-Keshla in the Narimanov district mobilised to oppose the demolition of about 120 houses for an urban development project. According to witnesses and local media, police used force to disperse residents, with some physically assaulted and detained. Reports in Jam-News and OC Media highlighted the abusive manner in which authorities entered properties, in some cases without clear court orders or documents, ignoring attempts at mediation and demands for fair compensation. Police and security agents also allegedly prevented journalists and lawyers from entering the demolition area.
Both situations reveal a state response to civic grievances that is repressive rather than geared towards dialogue and resolution. The use of violence, intimidation, and lack of transparency further undermine public trust in institutions and highlight the absence of real mechanisms for protecting fundamental rights. These incidents reflect an increasingly hostile climate towards community initiatives and peaceful protests, reinforcing fears that the police in Azerbaijan act as an instrument of control and coercion rather than a guarantor of public order in the interests of citizens.
Freedom of Expression
Press freedom crackdown continues in Azerbaijan
In recent months, the Azerbaijani authorities have intensified their crackdown on independent journalists and critical media outlets, particularly targeting the Abzas Media team and the Toplum TV platform. Numerous reporters and editors from Abzas Media have been arrested and transferred to harsh detention conditions, accused of economic crimes and collaboration with “hostile” foreign organisations. According to their defence teams, the charges are politically motivated and aimed at silencing those who expose high-level corruption and abuse of power. Azerbaijani courts have also continued to harass other journalists, including Toplum TV staff, who face lengthy trials and opaque legal procedures.
In addition to the journalists already in prison, Azerbaijani authorities have issued new arrest warrants for exiled bloggers and political critics, signalling an expansion of the repression beyond the country’s borders. Human rights organisations have also highlighted recent cases of young activists and researchers, such as Bahruz Samadov, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison on trumped-up charges. Arbitrary detentions, transfers to solitary confinement, and harsh conditions of detention have become part of a broader pattern of intimidation and silencing of critical voices.
The suppression of freedom of expression and civic space has drawn strong reactions from the international community. The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights has reiterated calls for the immediate release of unjustly detained journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society leaders. In addition, the European Parliament has condemned the wave of convictions against journalists, researchers, and bloggers, stressing that these measures are contrary to Azerbaijan’s international commitments. The European Union has warned that such actions undermine democratic principles and the rule of law.
UN experts and bodies such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), have also expressed concern over arbitrary detentions lasting over a year in some cases, and the misuse of the judicial system as an instrument of political repression. They have called on the authorities in Baku to end the persecution of independent media, immediately release journalists, and ensure respect for international standards on the protection of freedom of expression and human rights.