21 political prisoners emblematic of repression in Azerbaijan

Repression – and politically motivated detention – are at the heart of all the human rights and environmental issues in Azerbaijan. As the country prepares to host COP29, it is clear that there can be no climate justice without justice against repression. In this blog, we are publishing the profiles of emblematic political prisoners – individuals who are solely detained for their political or civil engagement, their human rights related activities or their profession as a lawyer or journalist.

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Human Rights Defenders and Activists

ANAR MAMMADLI

Human rights defender, (former) political prisoner, advocate for free and fair elections, good governance and political rights, and recipient of the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize by the Council of Europe.

AFIADDIN MAMMADOV

Committed social activist and union leader, dedicated to defending workers’ rights and advocating for fair treatment as a fundamental human right.

AKIF GURBANOV

Advocate for democratic transition, good governance and decentralisation, Head of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives and facilitator of the III Republic Platform.

FAMIL KHALILOV

Civic activist with cerebral palsy, currently imprisoned after being deported from Sweden, known for his criticism of the government.

ILHAMIZ GULIYEV

Civic activist and former investigation associate, currently imprisoned after criticizing government abuse of activists in an anonymous interview.

SEVINJ VAGIFGIZI

Journalist, editor-in-chief of Abzas Media, was among several journalists being secretly monitored by the Azerbaijani government through their phones using Pegasus spyware.

ULVI HASANLI

Director of Abzas Media, human rights defender and journalist, contributed alongside blogger Mehman Huseynov to investigations by Sancaq Production, focusing on corruption among government officials.

AZIZ ORUJOV

Journalist and founder of Channel 13, repeatedly arrested for his critical reporting on human rights.

NARGIZ ABSALAMOVA

Journalist with Abzas Media, currently imprisoned on disputed charges, known for her contribution to investigative reports exposing government corruption.

ELNARA GASIMOVA

Courageous journalist working for Abzas Media, known for her contribution to investigations into corruption and her resilience in the face of repeated arrests and government pressure.

HAFIZ BABALI

Investigative journalist and corruption researcher, currently imprisoned on disputed charges, known for his critical reports on corruption.

ALASGAR MAMMADLI

Founder of Toplum TV and a media law expert, currently imprisoned on disputed charges, while his health condition raises serious concerns.

ALI ZEYNALOV

Civic activist and video producer, currently imprisoned on disputed smuggling charges, known for his work with independent media and youth journalism programs.

TOFIG YAGUBLU

Pro-democracy opposition politician, repeatedly imprisoned on politically motivated charges since the 1998 presidential election.

BAKHTIYAR HAJIYEV

Prominent civic activist known for his vocal criticism of the government, social campaigns, and numerous arrests related to his activism and political involvement.

RUSLAN IZZATLI

Political activist and former leader of the D18 Movement, currently imprisoned on disputed charges related to his criticism of the government.

NAZIM BAYDAMIRLI

Former MP and businessman, currently imprisoned on disputed charges stemming from his criticism of corruption and environmental issues.

EMIN IBRAHIMOV

Former diplomat imprisoned for protesting human rights violations and criticizing the government.

NIYAMADDIN AHMADOV

PFPA activist, currently serving a 13-year prison sentence on disputed charges, known for his role as the bodyguard of party leader Ali Karimli.

FARID MEHRALIZADE

Economist and former head of a research team, currently imprisoned on disputed charges related to his independent economic analyses and criticism of government policies.

DR. GUBAD IBADOGHLU

Professor of economics, corruption fighter, former EITI Board member, detained on dubious charges, denied essential medication and care.