Azerbaijan: Release Bahruz Samadov and other government critics targeted during election campaign

Responding to the latest arrests of journalists and activists during the snap parliamentary election campaign in Azerbaijan that ended on Sunday, Natalia Nozadze, Amnesty International’s South Caucasus Researcher, said:

“The alarming new arrests and detentions targeting government critics must not be overlooked. The international community must condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Over the past two weeks, during the election campaign, two prominent figures have been detained on spurious charges, with others threatened and harassed.”

“The targeting of journalists and activists is nothing short of an attempt to silence dissent and suppress freedom of expression, particularly of those who are advocating for peace with Armenia.

 “As Azerbaijan prepares to host COP29 in November this year, it is imperative that world leaders hold the government accountable for its ongoing human rights abuses. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained merely for exercising their human rights. Azerbaijan should also immediately publish the recently signed COP29 Host Country Agreement.”

* In the two weeks leading up to Azerbaijan’s 1 September snap parliamentary elections, held under what OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly observers called a “restrictive political and legal environment,” several government critics were detained. On 21 August, researcher and activist Bahruz Samadov was arrested and charged with “high treason” for his critical articles on Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh policy and connections with Armenian activists. This mirrors the July arrest of Talysh minority advocate Igbal Abilov, also charged with “high treason.” Both remain in custody.

On 23 August, Samad Shikhi, a contributor for OC Media, a Georgia-based independent media outlet with focus on South Caucasus, and friend of Bahruz Samadov, was detained and released the next day. In a Facebook post, he confirmed Samadov’s ties with Armenian nationals, which was seen as denouncing Samadov, though some of Samad Shikhi’s friends believe he wrote it under pressure. On 27 August, another OC Media contributor, Cavid Ağa (Javid Agha), was detained at the airport as a witness in Samadov’s case and remains in custody since. On 31 August, Fariz Namazli, lawyer of Igbal Abilov, was detained, questioned for three hours, and released without charges.