AI points to worsening human rights situation in Azerbaijan

The human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) has noted the intensification of repressions against journalists and activists in Azerbaijan and called on the international community to condemn human rights violations.

The AI has noted that it "has long been concerned about the human rights situation in Azerbaijan." "Including unjustified restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, repressions against human rights defenders and journalists," the report says.

The authors of the report have recalled the criminal cases against the human rights defender Anar Mamedli, scientist and politician Gubad Ibadoglu, opposition politician Tofig Yagublu, young scientists Igbal Abi Lova and Bakhruz Samedov.

The AI’s report cites cases of activists’ and journalists’ persecutions during and after the COP29 Climate Conference. For example, Kamran Mamedli, an animal rights defender, was beaten up by security guards and detained for holding a protest action. In the weeks following the above conference, Rufat Safarov, a human rights defender, six Meydan TV journalists, and Ulvi Tairov, a deputy director of the Baku School of Journalism, were arrested.

"Torture and other forms of ill-treatment in custody places are widespread in Azerbaijan and are committed with impunity by policemen and investigators; and perpetrators are almost never held accountable," the authors of the report have emphasized.

Thus, in November 2024, the journalists Sevindj Vagifgyzy and Nargiz Absalamova, arrested within the Abzas Media case, faced harassments in response to documenting poor custody conditions, including the lack of clean water.

Several detained journalists and activists are suffering from serious health problems, aggravated by poor custody conditions.

The health condition of Anar Mamedli, the head of the Centre for Election Monitoring and Democracy Training, is deteriorating at the SIZO (pre-trial prison); and requests for medical examination have gone unanswered, his advocate said last October.

Also, the arrested Tofig Yagublu, Alesker Mamedli, a media expert, Ruslan Izzetli, an activist, and Khafiz Babaly, a journalist, have also received no due medical care in custody.