Calls to free Azerbaijani academic as climate summit kicks off

The Times Higher Education (THE), a leading international organization with an audience of 60 million and ranked among the world's top 100 networks in the field of education and skills assessment, has published a comprehensive article titled “Calls for the Release of Azerbaijani Scholar as Climate Summit Begins.” THE, known for its annual ranking of world universities, notes that while a major fossil fuel producer hosts a gathering of global leaders, it is cracking down on dissenters. Human rights groups are urging the Azerbaijani government, which is hosting the COP29 climate conference, to release a scholar detained after criticizing fossil fuel policies.

Qubad Ibadoghlu, a senior researcher at the London School of Economics (LSE), was detained by Azerbaijani authorities during a return visit to the country in July 2023. As world leaders convene in Baku for the United Nations climate summit, Amnesty International is calling on the authorities to release the Azerbaijani citizen who has been imprisoned for over a year on what the human rights organization describes as “trumped-up charges.” The group’s statement reads: “His imprisonment is an obvious act of retribution for his political and civil activities.”

Dr. Ibadoghlu previously published articles criticizing the Azerbaijani government’s oil and gas policies and detailing corruption in the sector. Members of the British Parliament have urged the Westminster government to raise his case at the summit, citing his deteriorating health, including diabetes and hypertension.

Responding to concerns raised in Parliament in October, a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said that Foreign Secretary David Lammy had discussed the issue with Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister and called on the government to allow Dr. Ibadoghlu to travel abroad for medical examination and treatment. The government, however, has not committed to raising the case at COP.

“We will continue to use our diplomatic channels to express our concerns about the protection of freedoms and human rights in Azerbaijan,” the FCDO spokesperson added.

THE reports that Azerbaijan ranks among the bottom 10-20 percent in the 2024 Academic Freedom Index, alongside countries like Afghanistan and Venezuela. According to Human Rights Watch, the government’s crackdown on “dissenting voices” has “intensified” over the past two years.

Other scholars, including political scientist Bahruz Samadov, who was detained on charges of treason after criticizing the government in August 2024, also remain imprisoned.

Since being announced as the host of this year’s COP, the oil and gas-rich nation of Azerbaijan has faced intense scrutiny for its plans to expand fossil fuel production over the next decade, despite its contributions to climate change.

Leaders have used the summit to defend their records. Speaking at the conference, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev described fossil fuels as “a gift from God.”

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Dr. Ibadoghlu’s daughter, Jale Bayramova, said: “I would expect the British government not to allow my father, a professor at LSE who has taught British citizens for two years, to remain imprisoned in life-threatening conditions.”

For context, THE is considered one of the most reputable international organizations for ranking world universities. THE’s 2025 ranking, which includes universities from 155 countries, features only two Azerbaijani institutions—Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University and Baku State University—within the 1500+ category. One of the target indicators of the Social-Economic Development Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022-2026, signed by the President of Azerbaijan on July 22, 2022, is to increase the number of Azerbaijani universities represented in the world’s top 800 to three by 2026.

However, achieving this goal is unlikely given the current restrictions on academic freedoms in the country.