Introduction
Azerbaijan extends COVID-19 quarantine regime again
On 19th December 2025, Azerbaijan extended its special quarantine regime until 1st April 2026 under a decree signed by Prime Minister Ali Asadov.
The regime has remained in force since March 2020, when Azerbaijan closed its land borders in response to the global spread of COVID-19. In September 2024, President Ilham Aliyev said the continued closure was also necessary to address unspecified external security risks. The policy has drawn criticism from legal experts and civil society groups, who argue that the prolonged restrictions lack a clear legal basis and violate freedom of movement.
Mass amnesty excludes journalists and HRDs
On 15th December 2025, President Ilham Aliyev signed a mass amnesty bill, reportedly the largest in Azerbaijan’s history and covering up to around 20,000 prisoners. According to pro-government media, the amnesty was announced to commemorate the “restoration of sovereignty and the full establishment of the legal force of the constitution throughout the entire territory of the country,” and also includes those who fought in, or whose relatives were killed in, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and other wars, regardless of sentence length.
The declaration signed by Aliyev did not directly specify which crimes the amnesty would cover, but government press agency APA published a list of possible beneficiaries, which includes persons imprisoned for committing crimes that do not pose great public danger, those sentenced to terms not exceeding five years for crimes committed through negligence, and persons convicted over less serious crimes.
The measure, to be implemented over four months, led to the release of hundreds of detainees in the first week. According to OC Media, this also included officials serving sentences for corruption-related offences and individuals convicted of negligent crimes resulting in death.
However, the amnesty excluded opposition politicians, activists and nearly 30 imprisoned journalists. Speaking to OC Media, human rights lawyer Yalchin Imanov said the exclusion may be legally consistent with the scope of the amnesty but questioned its fairness, noting that some people convicted of causing deaths were released while journalists jailed on disputed charges remained in prison.
Freedom of association
Crackdown on the political opposition deepens
On 29th November, 2025, Azerbaijani authorities detained opposition leader Ali Karimli and Mammad Ibrahim during raids conducted by the State Security Service. Their homes and those of several members of the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP) were searched as part of an investigation linked by pro-government media to former presidential aide Ramiz Mehdiyev, who faces charges including treason and attempting to seize power.
On 1st December, a court charged Karimli and Ibrahim with actions aimed at forcibly seizing power, and ordered their pre-trial detention for two months and 15 days. The APFP denounced the arrests as politically motivated and part of a broader crackdown on democratic opposition.
On 5th December, authorities reportedly blocked internet access near the appeals hearing and briefly detained more than 20 activists who had gathered in front of the courthouse in support (see under Freedom of peaceful assembly). The appeals court ruled to uphold the first instance detention order.
The arrests took place amid a broader escalation of pressure on the APFP throughout 2025. According to an analysis by Human Rights Watch (HRW) published at the end of December 2025, Azerbaijani authorities have arbitrarily arrested dozens of APFP members, pursuing what the organisation described as politically motivated charges, and subjecting activists to harassment across the country. The organisation reported that at least 20 party members were imprisoned at the time of writing. In addition to Karimli’s case, HRW highlighted the sentencing of senior party official Murad Sultan to 30 days of administrative detention in December 2025 and raised concerns over the apparent suicide in custody of 22-year-old APFP member Elbeyi Kerimli on 12th December. HRW called on the authorities to release those detained solely for peaceful political activity and to conduct an independent investigation into allegations of abuse and deaths in custody.
Repression of political prisoners: ill-treatment, hunger strikes and reprisals in detention
Reprisals against prisoners organising to defend their rights
In November 2025, reports of ill-treatment, disciplinary measures and reprisals against political prisoners increased following the establishment of the Committee for the Defence of Political Prisoners by six inmates at Prison No. 2: Hafiz Babali, Fazil Gasimov, Afiyaddin Mammadov, Samir Ashurov, Lachin Valiyev and Mehman Aliyev. All six are serving multi-year prison sentences on charges they maintain are politically motivated.
According to his wife, Nurana Ashurova, political activist Samir Ashurov was threatened and formally reprimanded by the prison governor shortly after the committee’s creation was announced on 24th November. Labour rights activist Afiyaddin Mammadov was also reportedly targeted, allegedly being subjected to pressure in relation to publicising conditions in detention before being placed in solitary confinement. Ashurov later reported that he had been physically assaulted and threatened with further disciplinary measures, including solitary confinement. In response, he began a hunger strike, which ended on 5th January 2026 after eight days when prison authorities reportedly agreed to halt the abuse. Ashurov is serving a six-and-a-half-year sentence on hooliganism charges following his arrest in 2022.
Mammadov subsequently faced additional restrictions in detention. His relatives reported that prison authorities suspended his right to make phone calls after he gave an interview to detained journalist Ulviya Ali, who was arrested in connection with the "Meydan TV case" (see under Freedom of expression). In the interview, Mammadov described poor detention conditions and alleged that ill prisoners were being denied medical care.
Other political prisoners not connected to the committee also reported ill-treatment in the reporting period. In November 2025, labour activist Aykhan Israfilov, a board member of the Workers' Table Confederation, began a hunger strike at the Baku Detention Centre to protest his detention under closed conditions and the confiscation of his belongings. His family expressed concern about his health, noting that he has a disability and is not able to exercise under the conditions in which he is being held.
Also in November, civic activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence, was placed in solitary confinement at Facility No. 6 and subsequently began a hunger strike. His brother reported that no steps have been taken to address the violation of his brother’s rights in detention despite repeated appeals to various authorities.
Hunger strikes and abuse of religious prisoners
Religious activist Nigar Bagirova began a hunger strike after a court extended her and her co-defendants' pretrial detention by two months on 9th November 2025. Bagirova and five other women had been arrested in August 2025 and charged under Articles 221.3 (hooliganism involving a group or violence/property damage) and 233 (organising or actively participating in actions that disrupt public order) of the Criminal Code for allegedly staging a protest “under the guise’ of a religious ceremony”. The women deny the charges.
While several participants later ended their hunger strikes because of deteriorating health, Bagirova continued her protest. Weeks into the strike, reports indicated that she was suffering from rapid weight loss, dizziness, weakness, chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, nausea and stomach pain. According to her family and supporters, she has also complained of inadequate medical care and a lack of continuous medical supervision at the Baku Pre-Trial Detention Centre. Despite her condition, Bagirova stated that she intended to continue the hunger strike.
On 12th December, according to reports from fellow activists, she was said to be in critical condition after 33 days on hunger strike, having reportedly collapsed and sustained head injuries.
Bagirova was arrested on 15th August 2025 alongside Khoshgadam Guliyeva, Sharqiyya Sadigova, Arzu Huseynova, Ayten Ibrahimova and Shahla Farajova after distributing a religious offering for Imam Hussein and chanting pro-Palestine slogans.
The women have alleged serious abuses during and after their detention. Farajova reported that her home was later raided by masked special forces officers who allegedly disabled security cameras before planting items, including a flash drive, an unfamiliar religious book and narcotics reportedly identified as methamphetamine. Bagirova stated that police used force during her arrest, dragged her and a child into a vehicle, forcibly removed her hijab and threatened her with sexual violence, as well as coerced her into signing documents. Sadigova and Ibrahimova also reported physical abuse, psychological intimidation and denial of access to legal counsel.
In November 2025, religious activist Elman Sheydayev sewed his lips shut and began a hunger strike in solidarity with the six women. Sheydayev is serving a seven-year prison sentence on drug-related charges that he maintains were fabricated.
In a separate case, Muslim Unity Movement member Tarlan Sayadov reported in December 2025 that he had been beaten and placed in solitary confinement after requesting a prayer mat. Sayadov said he believed he was targeted because of his religious beliefs.
Bahruz Samadov placed in solitary, subsequently transferred to a harsher prison regime
Academic and political prisoner Bahruz Samadov continued to be subjected to unjust punitive measures during his detention. On 21st October 2025, he was placed in solitary confinement due to allegedly “violating internal regulations” at Prison No. 11, where he is detained. Although he was supposed to be released on 25th October, the administration instead extended his stay for another month. On 17th November, a court heard his complaint that he had been unlawfully placed in solitary confinement. The court dismissed the case on jurisdictional grounds and referred it to the Baku Administrative Court.
According to reports, prison management explained Samadov’s continued placement in solitary confinement by noting the presence of a participant in the Karabakh war in the general cell. The official stated that a conflict could arise between them, as Samadov was accused of treason. As previously reported by the CIVICUS Monitor, Samadov, a researcher known for his writings on the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict and his criticism of the government, was arrested in August 2024 on high treason charges, which he denies. On 23rd June 2025, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. According to his relatives, he has twice attempted suicide since his imprisonment.
On 1st December, a hearing was held inside Prison No. 11 following a request by the prison administration to transfer Samadov to the Umbaki Closed Penitentiary, again due to alleged violations of prison regulations. The court approved the request, ordering his transfer to the strict-regime section of the facility for one year. His lawyer said the decision would be appealed. The Umbaki Penitentiary Complex is known to have harsher detention conditions and a stricter prison regime.
Transnational repression against Talysh minority activist
On 7th November 2025, Talysh social activist Kamal Isayev was reportedly detained in Istanbul and subsequently taken to Azerbaijan by the State Security Service (DTX), according to his wife, Aida Isayeva.
Isayeva said her husband, a Russian citizen who had travelled to Turkey for medical treatment, became unreachable shortly after sending a message on 7th November indicating he planned to return to Moscow the following day. Days later, she was informed by relatives in Baku that he had been detained and transferred to Azerbaijan.
Isayev is known for his advocacy of Talysh minority rights and criticism of the Azerbaijani authorities.
Feminist activist’s father assaulted in public
On 3rd November 2025, Azerbaijani feminist activist Vafa Naghiyeva reported that her 74-year-old father, Jamaladdin Naghiyev, was attacked in broad daylight in a café in Azerbaijan.
Naghiyeva said the assailant, identified as Ayyar Azizov, struck and insulted her father, allegedly in retaliation for Naghiyeva’s earlier public reporting on a 2020 sexual violence case involving Azizov. She said her father suffered head pain and breathing difficulties following the attack.
Naghiyeva called on authorities to investigate the incident and ensure her family’s safety. Police reportedly visited the family home after the complaint was made, and assured them that measures would be taken.
Freedom of peaceful assembly
Two men arrested following October Revolution anniversary march
On 26th November 2025, Azerbaijani authorities detained Ibrahim Asadli and Abdulla Ibrahimli after a video circulated online showing a march commemorating the 108th anniversary of the October Revolution. The event had taken place on 7th November in a park in Baku's Nizami District, where participants carried Soviet Union and Azerbaijani SSR flags.
The display of Soviet or communist symbols is not currently prohibited in Azerbaijan, although OC Media has noted a previous instance in which an individual was arrested after participating in an event while wearing a St George’s ribbon, a Russian nationalist symbol, and speaking under the Soviet flag.
State authorities identified Asadli and Ibrahimli as organisers of the march and opened a criminal case against them. Pro-government media reported that investigators alleged the group operated with support from a foreign state and that searches of participants’ homes and offices led to the seizure of flags, books and electronic devices.
According to OC Media, Asadli’s friends disputed the allegations, claiming the detention was linked to his outspoken criticism of the Health Ministry. They also noted that pro-government media claimed Asadli was being funded by the deputy head of the Russian Communist Parties Union. An anonymous participant who had been summoned for questioning also alleged police indicated that no action would have been taken had footage of the march not appeared on social media.
Dozens of opposition activists detained at party leader’s court hearing
On 5th December 2025, Azerbaijani police detained more than 20 members of the opposition Popular Front Party (APFP) as they gathered outside the Baku Court of Appeal during a hearing on party leader Ali Karimli’s challenge to his pre-trial detention. This comes amid a broader crackdown on the APFP, as explained above under Freedom of association.
According to the APFP, police sealed off the area around the courthouse, while reports indicated that mobile internet access was disrupted. More than 20 party members were taken to a local police station and held for several hours before being released. The party also alleged that Karimli’s driver, Rashad Aliyev, was beaten after his detention.
The court ultimately rejected Karimli’s appeal and upheld his detention on charges related to the alleged violent seizure of power. The APFP condemned the detentions as a violation of freedom of peaceful assembly and citizens’ right to observe court proceedings.
Freedom of expression
European Court of Human Rights rulings against Azerbaijan
In the reporting period, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a series of rulings against Azerbaijan, finding violations of freedom of expression and protections against ill-treatment in the case of a persecuted civic activist.
In January 2026, the Court ordered Azerbaijan to pay investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova €12,000 in compensation and €4,000 in legal costs, ruling that her conviction on charges including tax evasion and illegal entrepreneurship violated her rights. Ismayilova was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison in 2015 before receiving a suspended sentence on appeal. That same month, the Court also ruled in favour of civic activist Elgiz Gahraman, finding violations of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights due to degrading treatment and the authorities’ failure to investigate his torture allegations, and awarding him more than €12,000 in damages and costs.
In November 2025, the ECHR awarded €29,500 to the independent newspaper Azadlig after finding that defamation penalties imposed over a 2012 article critical of the head of Baku Metro constituted a disproportionate interference with freedom of expression.
It remains unclear whether the Azerbaijani authorities will implement the rulings, as President Ilham Aliyev stated in April 2025 that Azerbaijan would consider ECHR decisions invalid after the country's delegation was stripped of its voting rights in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in January 2024. Human rights lawyers reported in 2025 that the Azerbaijani government had stopped paying out compensation awarded under ECHR rulings as well as systematically refusing to review cases based on these rulings in the Plenum of the Supreme Court.
Police raid on LGBTQI+ friendly venue in Baku
On 27th December 2025, Azerbaijani police raided Labyrinth nightclub, an LGBTQI+ friendly venue in Baku, detaining more than 100 people in what rights groups say was a targeted operation against sexual and gender minorities.
According to witness accounts cited by Human Rights Watch (HRW), police confiscated mobile phones, searched private content without warrants and took at least 106 people to a police station, where they were reportedly forced to stand outdoors for hours in freezing conditions. Detainees also reported physical and psychological abuse, including denial of medical assistance, food, water and access to toilets, forced drug testing, and intrusive questioning about their sexual orientation and private lives.
Witness reports allege physical violence, extortion and humiliation by police. The pro-queer rights platform Qiy Vaar reported that some detainees lost consciousness due to the conditions. Reported abuses included a broken tooth caused by police use of force, the forcible cutting of a woman’s hair, forced degradation, verbal abuse, threats, and demands for bribes. Detainees were reportedly denied access to lawyers and contact with their families, and were released only after paying on-the-spot fines for alleged petty hooliganism.
Qiy Vaar also reported that similar police raids were carried out last year, and that such raids are systematic. The raid was also compared to the 2017 mass arrests of LGBTQI+ people in Baku, which the European Court of Human Rights later found involved violations of the prohibition of torture and discrimination. Azerbaijani authorities had not publicly commented on the operation at the time of reporting. However, according to HRW, a police-affiliated social media account later posted a video that appeared to include images taken from confiscated phones, stating that the operation followed residents’ complaints about “unethical” behaviour in the neighbourhood.
Azerbaijani man jailed for insulting judges on social media
A court in Azerbaijan has sentenced 63-year-old Hikmat Shukurov to two years in prison and ordered him to pay ₼50,000 (around $29,000) in compensation to five judges after finding him guilty of insulting and slandering them.
According to court records, Shukurov made social media comments describing judges as corrupt, dishonest and accepting bribes, and used offensive language directed at them and their relatives. The case followed a long-running land dispute involving his nephew.
Human rights lawyer Yalchin Imanov described the verdict as “disproportionate and severe”, arguing that the punishment constituted a serious violation of freedom of expression and failed to meet the standard of necessity in a democratic society.
Azerbaijan expands state surveillance powers through new digital platform
In November 2025, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree establishing the Centralised Information and Digital Analytics System (MİRAS), a new platform that significantly expands the surveillance powers of Azerbaijan's State Security Service. The system, expected to become fully operational by May 2026, will integrate data from multiple government agencies into a central database.
A detailed charter outlining the system's technical architecture and data collection powers was briefly published on the presidential website before being removed. According to the document, MİRAS will have access to a broad range of personal information, including identity records, travel history, family data, health information, financial records and criminal justice data.
Human Rights Watch warned that the system lacks key safeguards, including independent oversight, judicial authorisation and limits on data retention. The organisation called on the authorities to suspend implementation of the platform, citing concerns about privacy and the risk of arbitrary surveillance.
Azerbaijan Among Top Global Jailers of Journalists
On 21st January 2026, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that more than 300 journalists were imprisoned worldwide at the end of 2025, marking the fifth consecutive year of record-high detentions. According to CPJ’s prison census, the number of journalists imprisoned in Azerbaijan as of the end of 2025 was 24, nearly double the previous year's figure and enough to place the country among the world's ten worst jailers of journalists for the first time since 2018.
Listed below are developments related to imprisoned journalists between November and January.
Kanal 13 director released
On 27th November 2025, Kanal 13 director Aziz Orucov was released after completing a two-year prison sentence. He had been arrested in November 2023 on charges of “unauthorised construction” and later briefly accused of “currency smuggling”, a charge dropped before trial. Orucov rejected all allegations and said his imprisonment was politically motivated.
Kanal 11 head’s sentence reduced
On 24th December 2025, the Supreme Court reviewed a cassation appeal concerning imprisoned Kanal 11 online TV head Teymur Karimov and partially upheld it, reducing his sentence by two years. The appellate court had earlier reduced his sentence by one year in May 2025.
In 2023, Karimov was sentenced to eight years in prison by The Baku Grave Crimes Court and banned from journalism for two years following the completion of his sentence. He and co-defendant Istek Totiyeva were convicted under Article 182.2.1 (extortion committed by a group), with prosecutors claiming they had demanded money to remove content from their website. Totiyeva received a suspended sentence with a two-year probation period.
Karimov has consistently denied the charges, saying his arrest was linked to his journalistic work reporting on protests and human rights issues.
Trial begins in Meydan TV case
On 12th December 2025, the Baku Grave Crimes Court held a preliminary hearing in the “Meydan TV case”, rejecting a motion to dismiss the proceedings. Defence lawyer Zibeyda Sadiqova requested permission for audio recording and filming on grounds of public interest, but the court rejected the motion.
A total of 12 journalists have been arrested in connection with the case. Seven — Aynur Gambarova (Elgunash), Aysel Umudova, Natiq Javadli, Aytac Ahmadova (Tapdiq), Khayala Agayeva, Ramin Jabrayilzade (Deko), and Ulvi Tahirov, deputy director of the Baku School of Journalism — have been in detention since December 2024. Three others — Shamshad Agayev, Nurlan Gahramanli (Libre) and Fatima Movlamli — were detained in February and March 2025, followed by journalist Ulviya Guliyeva (Ali) and photojournalist Ahmad Mukhtar in May and August, respectively. If convicted, the journalists face up to 12 years in prison on multiple financial crime charges, including currency smuggling, money laundering, and tax evasion linked to the alleged receipt of Western donor funding.
On 22nd December, the same court held another hearing in the case. During proceedings, the journalists on trial staged a protest by singing in the courtroom.
In absentia proceedings against exiled journalists
On 23rd December 2025, the in absentia trial of Azadliq newspaper editor-in-chief Ganimat Zahid concluded with a seven-year prison sentence for alleged public calls against the state. Zahid, who lives in exile in France, rejected the charges as reprisals for his journalistic activities.
Several other in absentia sentences targeting exiled journalists were handed down in January 2026. On 14th January 2026, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced journalists Sevinj Osmangizi and Beydulla Manafov, along with blogger Abid Gafarov, to eight years’ imprisonment on charges related to public calls against the state. On 20th January, US-based blogger Vagif Allahverdiyev received an eight-year sentence over videos he posted in 2017. On 26th January, blogger Murad Guliyev was sentenced to six years on charges linked to the alleged forcible seizure of power. All denied the accusations.
Previously, in November 2025, two other exiled media figures, political analyst Altay Goyushov and commentator Arastun Oruclu, were summoned for questioning by the prosecutors’ office in November 2025. An official statement from the Prosecutor General’s Office on the matter was broadcast on television, warning that in absentia procedures would be initiated and sentences imposed if they failed to appear. The two are also facing charges under Articles 281.2 and 220.2 of the Criminal Code, relating to public calls against the state and calls for disobedience or unrest.
Imprisoned journalists report harsh detention conditions, health concerns
In December 2025, Abzas Media journalist Hafiz Babali, sentenced to nine years in the “Abzas Media case”, reported worsening health, including a serious leg infection, and said he was being denied adequate medical care. He also alleged that officials at Penitentiary Facility No. 2 have blocked his legal complaints since 6th November, preventing them from reaching the courts. Babali said he has faced a smear campaign in pro-government media accusing him of “illegal financing”, “currency smuggling” and “anti-state activity”, and has filed complaints seeking legal redress. He had been detained in December 2023 alongside other Abzas Media staff and Radio Liberty reporter Farid Mehralizade, all of whom received lengthy prison sentences upheld on appeal.
Also in December, the wife of Toplum TV defendant and III Republic Platform co-founder Ruslan Izzatli expressed fear for his life as his condition has worsened due to gallbladder disease and reportedly being denied adequate medical care in prison. As reported by the Caucasian Knot, Ruslan Izzetli was arrested in March 2024. On the eve of his arrest, doctors prescribed urgent gallbladder surgery. On 28th November 2025, Izzetli stated that a month before he had requested an ultrasound examination due to an exacerbation of his gallstone disease, but had still not been scheduled for an appointment with a doctor.
In January 2026, journalist Rashad Ramazanov, detained at Penal Institution No. 11, alleged in a letter to independent outlet Qazetci that he was tortured and beaten by the head of the facility, Shakir Ganiyev, who he says also threatened him with death. He further alleged wider ill-treatment of inmates and called for accountability within the Penitentiary Service and Ministry of Justice. His family says he has been unable to secure legal representation due to financial constraints. Ramazanov, sentenced in 2022 to five years and four months on drug trafficking charges, has been recognised by human rights organisations as a political prisoner.