Azerbaijan: Human rights and climate justice advocate arrested ahead of COP29
Responding to the detention of prominent human rights defender Anar Mammadli, who is Head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre and co-founder of the Climate of Justice Initiative in Azerbaijan, Natalia Nozadze, Amnesty International's South Caucasus Researcher, said:
"The Azerbaijani authorities must immediately cease their campaign of intimidation against civil society, and stop cynically detaining their critics ahead of the COP29 meeting in Baku in November. This has already led to the dubious criminal prosecution of several prominent activists and journalists. The arrest of renowned human rights defender Anar Mammadli is yet another egregious example of this disturbing trend."
"His arrest follows a pattern of abuse of the criminal justice system to silence government critics, which include illegal searches, denying access to lawyers, torture and ill-treatment in detention, and arbitrary detentions rubber-stamped by compliant courts. We call for an end to this sustained effort to silence dissent and for Anar Mammadli to be released immediately."
Background
On 29 April 2024, Anar Mammadli was on the way to pick up his child from nursery when he was apprehended by unidentified masked men and driven away in a black vehicle. According to family members, police then searched Anar Mammadli's house and allegedly planted money. The Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed his detention and his sister reported that he is officially suspected of "smuggling by prior conspiracy by a group of persons" under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, and arrested in connection with the case of Abzas Media. He was reportedly denied access to his lawyer overnight when kept in a temporary detention centre in Baku.
In 2014 Anar Mammadli was recognized as a Prisoner of Conscience by Amnesty International when he was dealt a five-and-a-half-year prison sentence on trumped up charges of tax evasion, illegal entrepreneurship, and abuse of office. He was pardoned in 2016 but has since faced repeated attacks from the authorities and the pro-government media, intensifying in the lead-up to COP29 .
Politics
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Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who arrived in Baku today, held a press conference at the COP29 climate conference. When asked about the arrested climate activists and opposition figures in Azerbaijan, she stated that Germany advocates for the release of government critics and that she would raise this issue during her meeting with Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister. She specifically mentioned the name of Professor Gubad Ibadoglu, a doctor from Dresden University.
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On November 21, climate activists held a series of protests at the COP29 climate conference in Baku. The main themes of the protests included nuclear weapons testing, animal killings, protection of rivers and water bodies, and environmental pollution.
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The General Assembly of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) adopted a resolution on Friday reaffirming its commitment to democratic reforms, regional stability, and European integration amidst escalating geopolitical tensions driven by Russia's ongoing aggression in Ukraine.
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Activist Nijat Ibrahim, who was detained in Baku pre-trial detention center-1, inflicted numerous wounds on himself on November 20 in protest against unjustified criminal prosecution, his wife Parvin Ibrahim told Turan. According to her, on November 21, her husband called her and informed her that the day before he had inflicted incised wounds on himself with a piece of mirror. In particular, he cut his throat and ears.
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