Crackdown on activists intensifies in Azerbaijan in 2024

PanARMENIAN.Net - The human rights situation in Azerbaijan continues to deteriorate, with 2024 marked by intensified crackdowns on journalists, rights advocates, and activists, alongside worsening conditions in the country’s penitentiary system.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan has reached a record high in the country’s 23 years as a member of the Council of Europe. On December 12, 2024, the Union for Freedom of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan updated its list to 331 individuals, 77 more than the previous year.

According to the human rights organization Protection Line, the Azerbaijani authorities have increasingly used arrests to suppress political dissent. The report states, “In 2024, violations of the country’s Constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights, and other international treaties were recorded, particularly concerning political freedoms.”

Since November 2023, arrests of independent media journalists have continued. Representatives of outlets such as Abzas Media and Toplum.tv have faced criminal prosecution. The detentions of human rights defenders Anar Mammadli and Rufat Safarov were aimed at dismantling independent rights institutions.

Conditions in detention facilities remain dire, with cells intended for six people often housing up to 27 individuals. Overcrowding, poor sanitation, and a lack of medical care have exacerbated detainees’ health issues.

Human Rights Watch’s 2024 report highlights growing repression in Azerbaijan, which became especially evident during the COP29 climate summit held in Baku. The event drew global attention, but alongside it came intensified crackdowns on opposition and independent media.

Rights advocates urge Azerbaijan’s authorities to address human rights violations and fulfill their international obligations.