Abuse Against Gubad Ibadoghlu 'Wrong And Life-Threatening', Leading U.S. Congressman Says

U.S. Congressman David Rouzer, a Republican from North Carolina, on Friday appealed to Congressional leadership expressing his and his colleagues' position in joining the State Department and, as he put it, 'many members of international civil society,' in calling for Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu's unconditional release from Azerbaijani jail, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have introduced a bipartisan resolution to highlight the plight of Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu, a respected academic and economist who taught and conducted research at several top universities in America, including Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill in my home state of North Carolina,"  Congressman Rouzer said.

He recalled that while on a trip to Azerbaijan to visit his sick mother back in July of 2023, Ibadoghlu and his wife were brutally assaulted by Azerbaijani authorities, and the academic was arrested on politically motivated, baseless charges.

"To this day, he continues to be detained and cruelly denied access to regular legal counsel and critical medications. This abuse is wrong and life-threatening," the Congressman said.

He went on to conclude:  "What Dr. Ibadoghlu is currently experiencing is a sobering reminder of what can and does happen in nations that have no regard for human rights with a history of jailing individuals on baseless charges."

Rouzer's speech came just hours before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Azerbaijan's Ilham Aliyev in Munich in the margins of the security conference. 

According to the State Department readout of the meeting, Blinken "raised the importance of Azerbaijan adhering to its international commitments and obligations regarding human rights.”

It wasn't immediately clear whether the Secretary and the president discussed specific cases or not, however, his assistant, James O'brien, held a separate meeting with foreign minister Jeyhun Bayramov to expand on Blinken-Aliyev talks.

Early last week, Congressman Rouzer and 20 other members of the U.S. Congress had co-sponsored a resolution (H. RES. 1012) calling on Azerbaijan to immediately release Dr. Ibadoghlu. The authors also urged the Secretary of State to continue prioritizing Ibadoghlu’s well-being and release in all engagements with the Azeri government.