PACE Co-Rapporteur Expresses Concern Over Health of Azerbaijani Activists Mammadli and Ibadoghlu

Lise Christoffersen, Co-Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Monitoring Committee for Azerbaijan, has voiced serious concern over the deteriorating health of civil society activists Anar Mammadli and Gubad Ibadoghlu.

In a recent statement, Christoffersen highlighted the critical health condition of Anar Mammadli, who has been held in pre-trial detention since April 30, 2024. Mammadli, the head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre — the only independent election watchdog in Azerbaijan — is a prominent human rights defender and the recipient of the 2014 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. He is also a co-founder of the Climate Justice Initiative, a coalition of NGOs formed in preparation for COP29 currently underway in Baku.

“I am deeply concerned about Mr. Mammadli’s health, which has significantly worsened during his detention. He urgently requires a proper medical examination, which has been denied so far,” Christoffersen stated. She added that the failure to address his health issues could have irreversible consequences and called on the Azerbaijani authorities to provide immediate medical attention.

Mammadli, who faces up to eight years in prison if convicted, remains detained despite calls from PACE and other international bodies to review his case. Christoffersen reiterated her appeal for a swift review and urged the authorities to ensure transparency and due process.

The Co-Rapporteur also raised concerns over the health condition of Gubad Ibadoghlu, a respected academic and anti-corruption expert. Ibadoghlu was released from detention in April 2024 after spending nine months in remand but is now under house arrest, barred from travel, and facing charges that could result in up to 17 years of imprisonment. He has recently been nominated for the European Parliament’s 2024 Sakharov Prize.

“Dr. Ibadoghlu suffers from a severe heart condition, which worsened during his detention. He urgently needs heart surgery that can only be performed by foreign specialists,” Christoffersen noted. She called on the Azerbaijani authorities to allow Ibadoghlu to seek medical treatment abroad or to permit foreign doctors to enter the country to provide necessary care.

In her statement, Christoffersen also called for the immediate release of Mammadli, Ibadoghlu, and other human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society activists currently held in detention. “I urge the authorities to drop all politically motivated charges and release those targeted in retaliation for their human rights work,” she concluded.