The United States continue to be troubled by the arrest and detention of Azerbaijani human rights defender and political activist Gubad Ibadoghlu, according to Matthew Miller, the Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State.

“So we continue to be troubled by the arrest and detention of Gubad Ibadoghlu, and we are alarmed by the reports that his health continues to deteriorate,” Miller said.

“We have urged the Azerbaijani Government on a number of occasions to immediately release him. We urge Azerbaijan to protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all, consistent with its own constitution and international obligations and commitments, and we have made that clear both publicly and privately.”

According to Amnesty International, Ibadoghlu fled Azerbaijan in 2017 but returned in 2023. On 23 July he was arbitrarily detained along with his wife, Irada Bayramova,(who was later released) as they were driving to meet youth activists from the Azerbaijan Democracy and Prosperity Movement. According to the couple’s daughter, 20 plain-clothed police officers rammed their car, physically assaulted them, forced them into separate vehicles and then placed them in separate cells. The police officers never provided them with a reason for the arrest.