January 17, 2025 - 15:31 AMT
HRW: Azerbaijan escalates crackdown on Critics

Azerbaijan faces accusations from Human Rights Watch (HRW) of intensified repression against activists and journalists ahead of COP29.

The organization’s 2024 global human rights report highlights the Azerbaijani government’s targeting of critics, particularly during the run-up to the UN climate conference. “Dozens of journalists, activists, and human rights defenders were arrested on politically motivated charges, and restrictions on free speech and assembly paralyzed civil society,” the report notes. Allegations of torture and inhumane treatment in detention facilities remain persistent.

Furthermore, HRW criticized Azerbaijan’s February and September 2024 elections, citing widespread suppression of dissent and labeling them "uncompetitive." In January, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe rejected Azerbaijan’s delegation credentials due to violations of core obligations.

The report also details the April arrest of Anar Mammadli, head of an election monitoring group and co-founder of a climate justice coalition. Other detainees include former diplomat Emin Ibrahimov, economist Farid Mehralizadeh, opposition figure Tofig Yagublu, publicist Imran Aliyev, and blogger Famil Khalilov.

Authorities have targeted independent media outlets like Abzas Media, Toplum TV, and Kanal 13 since November 2023, with journalists Ulvi Hasanli and Sevinj Vagifgyzy among 12 currently detained.

HRW notes ongoing cases of torture, referencing allegations by Hasanli in a July 2024 report. That same month, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture criticized Azerbaijan for non-cooperation, deeming it a breach of the European Convention.