"Line of Defense" Reports Deterioration of Human Rights in Azerbaijan

The human rights situation in Azerbaijan in 2024 was characterized by an increase in repression against journalists, activists, and religious groups, the annual report of the NGO "Line of Defense," presented on January 24 by member of the organization, human rights activist Zafar Ahmedov.

In 2024, as in previous years, violations of the country's Constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights were recorded, particularly regarding political freedoms.

In 2024, the freedom of peaceful assembly was effectively eliminated. Except for small protests by groups of citizens with social demands in front of government institutions, all other actions with political demands and even gatherings of a small number of people in front of court buildings were dispersed by the police, the report notes.

Repressions against political, social, and religious activists intensified, and the number of political prisoners increased from 254 in December 2023 to 331 in December 2024.

The wave, which began in November 2023 with the arrest of Abzas Media journalists, continued in 2024 with criminal cases against journalists from Toplum.tv, Meydan TV, Kanal-13, and Məclis.info.

In the same year, the freedoms of Xural TV editor-in-chief Avaz Zeynalov, blogger and public activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev were also restricted. Human rights defenders were also arrested, including the head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Training Center Anar Mammadli and the executive director of "Line of Defense," Rufat Safarov.

The arrest of Mammadli aimed to eliminate the only organization monitoring elections, whose results were recognized by international organizations. The arrest of Safarov, in essence, targeted the liquidation of an independent human rights institution that was already in a difficult situation. Moreover, the arrest aimed to paralyze the activities of "Line of Defense" and was a response from the authorities to his receiving an award from the U.S. State Department for human rights protection.

The report also points to unjustified criminal prosecutions against Azar Gasymly, director of the Political Management Institute, opposition politicians Tofig Yagublu and Gubad Ibadoglu, Karabakh war veteran Rza Safarsoy, and many other activists.

The conditions of detention for accused and convicted individuals remained non-compliant with international standards, the research continues. Despite the opening of two new penitentiary complexes, the number of prison and detention center spaces was still lower than the actual number of detainees. Most of the buildings are old and do not meet modern standards.

Provision of food and sanitary-hygienic supplies for prisoners also does not meet modern standards. Compared to previous years, the quality of medical care for prisoners has deteriorated. Overcrowding in detention facilities leads to the mixing of prisoners from different categories, including those at risk, which results in various incidents and the risk of infectious diseases spreading.

Despite the opening of a new temporary detention facility by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 2018, strict feeding regimes, untimely changing of bed linens, the joint confinement of individuals from at-risk groups, and violations of the rights to telephone communication and walks persist.

Conditions in the pre-trial detention cells in courts, especially in the Baku Serious Crimes Court, remain extremely harsh. "Cold in winter, unbearable heat in summer, and lack of ventilation combined with cigarette smoking negatively affect the health and mental state of those awaiting trial," the report further states.

The legal protection of detainees, arrestees, and convicts remains one of the lowest in the civilized world, due to the small number of lawyers. The minimum price for legal services contracts is periodically increased, making them inaccessible for many. The professional conduct of judges, prosecutors, and, more recently, the convoy staff during judicial proceedings significantly harms the effectiveness of their work.

The human rights organization "Line of Defense" calls on the authorities to address the human rights violations listed in the report and to comply with the obligations imposed by conventions and declarations signed by Azerbaijan and the country’s Constitution.