On 26 May 2026, Afgan Sadigov was denied exit from Baku airport: another travel ban, another silence from the authorities on why they restrict his freedom ⚠️🇦🇿

Political prisoner Ilgar Aliyev was found dead in Correctional Facility No. 13 on 1 May 2026 ⚠️ His death follows Elbayi Karimli's death in prison in December 2025. Prison deaths require independent investigation.

Seven years after Mammadli v Azerbaijan, the @echr.coe.int's judgment remains unimplemented 🇪🇺🇦🇿 The same indictment template now silences a new generation of journalists and human rights defenders and Anar Mammadli is in prison again. We ask @coe.int for an ad hoc mechanism.

A human rights defender arrested in the “NGO case” tells the court: “If I were a criminal, I would not have used a state bank account directly monitored by the authorities.” Asef Ahmadov's powerful courtroom statement dismantles prosecutors' charges with facts. He seeks justice ⚖️

Time for a “grand deal” 🇺🇸🇦🇿 @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social's Andrew Danieri argues such a deal, built on the model used in talks with Belarus, could provide for the release of a number of political prisoners vs the lifting of US arms sale restrictions. www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/n...

The European Parliament called for the freedom for Bahruz Samadov and Igbal Abilov — they are still in detention ⚠️ What does the EU do? It intensifies a partnership without conditions. ➡️ Our briefing note to @droi.europarl.europa.eu www.endrepression-az.org/partnership-...

The partnership without condition continues 🇪🇺🛢️🇦🇿 We researched EU-Azerbaijan relations and specifically how under EU High Representative @kajakallas.bsky.social‘s leadership the EU’s realignment took place. www.endrepression-az.org/partnership-... @mounirsatouri.bsky.social

The EU-Azerbaijan March 2026 joint statement contains no mention of political prisoners, civil society, media freedom, or the @droi.europarl.europa.eu own December 2025 resolution ⚠️ ➡️ Our briefing note maps the gap between what the EU says and what it does: www.endrepression-az.org/partnership-...

CRISIS UPDATE: Ramil Babayev appeared at today's Toplum TV case hearing in Baku on a five-day dry hunger strike 🚨 He told the judge he vomited blood twice and was denied medical care until the night before the hearing. He was brought to court by force.

This is the substance: the Campaign to End Repression in Azerbaijan detailed analysis of the EU-Azerbaijan relationship shows how energy commitments have been decoupled from human rights obligations. 🔗 Read it www.endrepression-az.org/report-eu-az...

Authorities confiscated Akif Gurbanov’s written materials, pressured fellow detainees to testify against him, cut off his phone access because he refused orders to stop writing political criticism from inside the Baku Pretrial Detention Centre, according to IIIrd Republic Platform.

General Rapporteur for political prisoners of @pace.coe.int, Azadeh Rojhan calls for the immediate release of Anar Mammadli. Write to President Aliyev to demand Anar Mammadli's release (scan QR code in the image). 🔗 pace.coe.int/en/news/1028...

🔔 Weekly updates on complaints 🇦🇿Complaint ACSR/C/2024/45 (Azerbaijan) (ongoing) Concerns the alleged penalization of Anar Mammadli, advocate for human rights and environmental justice in Azerbaijan. 🔎 Details shorturl.at/z0Aoe 📌 Follow this series on my social media 📩 For updates eepurl.com/jtOQ-Y

Activists demanded the release of Anar Mammadli www.eng.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/74816

Two years ago today, Azerbaijan grabbed Anar Mammadli off the streets of Baku as he went to pick up his child at nursery. He’s still in prison on fabricated charges ⚠️ ➡️ Sign the petition for his release secure.avaaz.org/community_pe...

Anar Məmmədli iki ildir uydurma ittihamlar əsasında həbsdədir. Prezident Əliyevə birbaşa məktub göndərin və onun dərhal azad edilməsini tələb edin ⚖️

Активисты потребовали освободить Анара Мамедли Источник www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/422...

Join all of those calling for the release of Anar Mammadli ⚖️ Join us calling for the end of the persecution of human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, civic activists and scholars ✊ ➡️ Sign our petition secure.avaaz.org/community_pe... @avaaz.org

Our colleague and EPDE co-founder, Anar Mammadli, is held as political prisoner in Azerbaijan for almost two years. We stand in solidarity with Anar as a new hearing is being held in Baku.

Free Anar Mammadli 🇦🇿 Two Years of Arbitrary Detention Must End ⚖️ In today's press release, we call on @presidentaz to order the release of Anar Mammadli and to put an end to the persecution of human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, civic activists and scholars.

Today in Baku ⚠️ A new hearing is being held in Anar Mammadli’s case; almost two years on from his abduction, the trial drags on as a political instrument 🔗 free-anar.site

Georgia arrested a journalist on a fake charge at midnight, deported him to Azerbaijan, ignored a binding European Court order to protect him. Eight organisations are demanding the Council of Europe acts. It's silence is threatening its credibility. 🔗 free-anar.site/human-rights...

Today in Baku: another hearing in the politically motivated case against Bashir Suleymanli. Election monitoring expert and human rights defender, he was arrested in March 2025. He was jailed before, in 2014. Same reason: his work.

The Azerbaijani government prepping citizens to accept a dynasty🤴🇦🇿👸 It used to be all about President Ilham Aliyev. Pro-government media now report more and more about the Family’s religious, charitable, symbolic activities, via @globalvoices.org globalvoices.org/2026/04/11/e...

🇬🇪 Last night: Georgia expels Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov to face persecution in Baku. 🇦🇿 Today: President Aliyev lands in Tbilisi. Some coincidences are hard to overlook. Our CRISIS UPDATE: free-anar.site/afgan-sadigo...

🚨 CRISIS UPDATE Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov was arrested in Tbilisi, forcibly expelled, and has arrived in Baku today. It all took place despite binding @echr.coe.int interim measures. This is transnational repression. Georgia must account for it. 🔗 free-anar.site/afgan-sadigo...

Azerbaijan ramps up pressure against ‘political prisoners’, via @ocmedia.bsky.social oc-media.org/azerbaijan-r...

Trump's Middle East Envoy, Stephan Wittkoff, claimed Aliyev has "completely transformed" Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 ➡️ Today, Azerbaijan holds the highest number of political prisoners since Aliyev took power in 2003. That's transformative repression.

⚠️ Former Azerbaijani MP Nazim Baydemirli has been hospitalised in detention after a sudden health deterioration. He has been imprisoned since July 2023 for taking part in community protests in Soyudlu. Sentenced to 8 years. 🔗 free-anar.site/political-pr...

🕊️ 10 years ago today, Intigam Aliyev was released from prison: Azerbaijan’s leading human rights lawyer, teacher of a generation, jailed for doing his job. His release came in a decade of repression that has never stopped.

We wholeheartedly welcome the pardon of 250 political prisoners in Belarus as a result of negotiations led by the USA, including our friends and colleagues from @freeviasna.org 🤍❤️🤍

Abroad, like at home… www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...

⚖️ Human Rights At Stake ⚖️ Mapped by 120+ human rights defenders and experts as the global realignment hardens into a fractured order, and civic space, equality, and accountability come under pressure ➡️10 Global Human Rights Trends humanrightscompass.org#kpg_17808

Ali Karimli has now been in detention for 75 days. A court has prolonged his pre-trial detention. ➡️ Use and share our portrait image to show solidarity with him and other political prisoners in Azerbaijan: free-anar.site/political-pr... ✊🇦🇿

Unlawfully detained, woman journalist Aysel Umudova faces sexual violence. she has reported being subjected to sexual harassment, degrading conditions of detention, intimidation and coercion. We call for her immediate and unconditional release. 🔗 free-anar.site/unlawfully-d...

Today in Baku, another hearing took place in the trial of human rights defender Anar Mammadli. All the theatre of justice is there, except justice itself. Anar Mammadli should be released immediately and unconditionally. #FreeAnar

Unlawfully detained, woman journalist Ulviyya Ali Guliyeva faces sexual violence. We call for her immediate and unconditional release. 🔗 free-anar.site/unlawfully-d...

Continued deterioration of Azerbaijan’s poor human rights record, documented by @hrw.org in its annual report 🇦🇿 The government intensified its crackdown on media, political opponents, civil society, silencing dissent, further entrenching a climate of fear. www.hrw.org/world-report...

We joined NGOs to denounce sexual harassment, rape threats, ill-treatment against jailed Azerbaijani women journalists Aysel Umudova and Ulviyya Guliyeva ⚠️ We call for their release; ind't investigations and accountability; access to adequate medical care 🇦🇿⚖️ 🔗 free-anar.site/unlawfully-d...

After joining Board of Peace, with reports of a $1bn buy-in, Azerbaijan is already diverging from Donald Trump on Iran protests 🇦🇿🇺🇸 Baku wants calm next door; it would not want people in Azerbaijan inspired by brave Iranians protesting repression ⚡️

Peace activist, PhD candidate Bahruz Samadov to be moved to the high-security Umbaki prison 🇦🇿 He should not be transferred. He should not be in prison. He asked internationals to attend the hearing ⚠️ 📆 29 January 2026 📍 Baku Court of Appeal ➡️ free-anar.site/political-pr...

Denying medical aid to political prisoners is a continued practice in Azerbaijan 🏥🇦🇿 ➡️ @amnesty.org's call for urgent action on the case of 12 journalists from @meydantv.bsky.social and affiliated media denied urgently needed medical care: www.amnesty.org/en/documents...

Human rights defenders call on the Council of Europe to respond to the human rights crisis in Azerbaijan: @pace.coe.int should launch joint complementary procedure, via Caucasian Knot www.eng.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/72211

Azerbaijan has spent a decade disregarding the Council of Europe’s judgments ⚖️ PACE should protect the Convention system by launching a Joint Complementary Procedure 🔍 ➡️ Our analysis: free-anar.site/the-council-...

Aliyev’s Azerbaijan is paying USD 1 billion to join Trump’s Board of Peace. Buying international recognition is what Aliyev’s system knows best 💰 ➡️ Join us today to discuss how to stop the international community trading away its principles ⚖️🇦🇿 events.teams.microsoft.com/event/cffd72...

President Aliyev on @euronews.com, 20 Jan 2026: Azerbaijan ends cooperation with EP and PACE 🇪🇺⚠️🇦🇿 He says the European Commission is enough. The Commission shouldn't accept to be the only channel & must tie energy and trade talks to releases and civic space 🛢️⚠️⚖️ ➡️ free-anar.site/wp-content/u...

Human Rights Crisis in Azerbaijan: Europe Needs to Act Repression deepens, civic space disappears, Europe’s energy-first approach no longer sustainable ⚠️🇦🇿⚖️🇪🇺🛢️ Join our discussion 📆 Wed. 21 January, 15.00-16.00 CET 📍 events.teams.microsoft.com/event/cffd72...

Two more officials sanctioned for human rights violations in Russia: Judge D. Gordeev & Prosecutor L. Balandina. Yet @consilium.europa.eu remains silent on systemic repression of journalists, human rights defenders, opposition in Azerbaijan 🇪🇺⚖️🇦🇿 Double standards weaken credibility 📉

The European Parliament adopted a new resolution on Azerbaijan 🇪🇺⚖️🇦🇿 It names emblematic cases, condemns the misuse of criminal law, calls for the release of political prisoners, and links EU cooperation to real human rights progress. 🔗 free-anar.site/european-par...

EU–Azerbaijan relations in three chapters 🇪🇺🎥🇦🇿 1️⃣ Azerbaijan is framed as a “reliable energy partner” and key economic actor 2️⃣ Human rights follow later, reduced to vague calls 3️⃣ The EU speaks in dissonance; the Commission praises Parliament instead of acting