Introduction
Protests in solidarity with Igbal Abilov, Azerbaijani researcher and filmmaker
Igbal Abilov, an Azerbaijani academic and filmmaker, has been held in detention since the summer of 2024. He was charged with treason and inciting ethnic hatred — accusations widely regarded as politically motivated. He was also accused of organising and promoting anti-state activities on behalf of foreign organisations, allegedly under the direction of the Armenian authorities.
In December 2024, on the occasion of his 35th birthday, solidarity actions were organised in several European cities, including Vilnius, Belgrade, Warsaw, and Porto, as Abilov is now widely recognised as a political prisoner.
On 19th November 2024, a court in Azerbaijan prolonged his arrest for a further four months.
Freedom of Association
Legislation on financial reporting of NGOS could include higher fines
In December 2024, the CSO Meter, which monitors the situation of civil society in the Eastern Partnership countries, warned that Azerbaijan may tighten its legislation regulating financial reporting of donations and other sources. The new provisions, part of the regulatory framework in the Code of Administrative Offenses, include higher fines of NGOs, as well as their foreign branches, for failure to submit financial reports and declare the sources of financing to the Ministry of Justice within the designated time period. These changes could significantly impact the work of NGOs, especially small-scale organisations with limited resources and capacity.
Pressure on human rights defenders continues in Azerbaijan
On 4th December 2024, international media drew attention to the case of Rufat Safarov, a human rights defender from Azerbaijan who was detained and placed in custody for three months. He was accused of hooliganism and fraud. On 6th December 2024, Safarov’s lawyers submitted an appeal, but the Baku Appeals Court dismissed it and upheld four months of pre-trial detention.
The international community, including the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Amnesty International, have called for his immediate release.
Safarov was also arrested in 2015 on bribery charges. His case was widely believed to be politically motivated, as he had been one of the government’s most vocal critics. He was sentenced to nine years in prison at that time but was pardoned in 2019 by President Ilham Aliyev.
Freedom of Expression
Azerbaijani journalists arrested after COP29
A week after the COP29 international climate conference in Baku, Meydan TV — an independent digital media outlet known for its criticism of the authorities — announced that several of its journalists had been detained by law enforcement on 6th December 2024. According to Meydan TV, those arrested included Aynur Gambarova (also known as Elgunash), Natig Javadli, Aytaj Ahmadova (also known as Tapdig), Aysel Umudova, Khayala Aghayeva, and Ramin Jabrailzada (also known as Deko). Three others who worked with the outlet but were not permanent staff were also detained: Ulvi Tahirov, photographer Ahmad Mukhtar, and sports journalist Rashad Ergun.
The Meydan TV journalists were reportedly subjected to interrogation and denied access to legal assistance. They face accusations of “smuggling” under the Criminal Code, a charge they deny. The journalists believe their detention is linked to their work, particularly their critical reporting on the government.
The International Press Institute and Free Press Unlimited have both demanded their immediate release.