January – April 2025
In the first four months of 2025, Azerbaijani authorities further escalated the human rights repression through new waves of unrelenting crackdowns on civil society, media, and political activism. Since mid-2023, authorities have escalated their crackdown on civil society through recurring police operations conducted approximately every two to three months. These actions have resulted in multiple waves of detentions and arrests, the freezing of bank accounts, property seizures, travel bans, and intense interrogations. Reports consistently indicated patterns of widespread ill-treatment, the imposition of travel bans, and coordinated smear campaigns disseminated through state-controlled media. Over the past four months, these measures have further dismantled the remaining civic space even further. Independent civic initiatives have been completely paralyzed, with particular impact on the media sector—virtually all independent media outlets along with NGOs have ceased operations within the country.
January 2025
In January 2025, Azerbaijani authorities escalated their crackdown on independent media, civil society and opposition voices through a series of new arrests, harsh sentences and aggravated charges. Journalist Farid Ismayilov became 9th person arrested in Toplum TV case where preliminary investigation concluded and 7 new charges were introduced.
Trials continued in Abzas Media case, where journalists testified to planted evidence, violent arrests and inhuman detention conditions. In Meydan TV case, appeals to end pre-trial detention for five employees (Aynur Elgunash, Natig Javadli, Khayala Aghayeva, Aytaj Tapdig, Aysel Umudova) were rejected without any justification, and travel bans were imposed on 2 other journalists – Ulviyya Guliyeva and Khanim Mustafayeva.
Activists such as Rail Abbasov, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, and Afiaddin Mammadov received harsh sentences on 9 and 14 January 2025.
Four opposition party members (Ramil Eynaliyev, Asgar Aghasoy, Alikram Khurshidov and Alisahib Karimov) were arrested on administrative offences.
February 2025
In February 2025, politically motivated repression intensified with growing pressure on media outlets and rising number of political prisoners from 331 on 10 December 2024 to 357 on 12 February 2025.
During February of 2025, 4 more journalists were arrested in relation to Meydan TV (Shamshad Aghayev, Fatima Movlamli, Nurlan Gahramanli) and Toplum TV cases (Shahnaz Baylargizi).
On 25 February 2025, Trade Union activists Mohyaddin Orujov was sentenced to 3 years in prison on dubious drug charges.
Trials continued in cases of Abzas Media and Tofig Yagublu, with courts unanimously rejecting defense motion despite allegations on mistreatment, planted evidence and procedural violations.
Pre-trial hearings were held in cases of two PhD students Bahruz Samadov and Igbal Abilov charged with treason.
Courts also extended pre-trial detention in cases of prominent civil society leaders Anar Mammadli and Imran Aliyev on 15 February 2025, and activist Elgiz Gahraman also charged in this case on 28 February.
Several independent media outlets, including Turan Information Agency, Voice of America and BBC Azerbaijani Service suspended operations amid smear campaigns and accreditation cancellations.
March 2025
Opposition leader Tofig Yagublu was sentenced to nine years on dubious fraud and forgery charges on 11 March 2025.
In early February, following the Trump administration’s executive order freezing USAID funds, Azerbaijani authorities resumed a long-standing criminal case initially opened in 2014 under charges like illegal entrepreneurship and tax evasion. Within the course of new investigation measures, dozens of civil society members were interrogated and well-known election experts and civil society leaders Mammad Mammadzada and Bashir Suleymanli were arrested under money-laundering, abuse-of-power and forgery charges on 14 March 2025.
Meanwhile, authorities also placed another election expert Hafiz Hasanov under house arrest, GMF advisor Mehriban Rahimli under police supervision, and a preventive arrest warrant issued for civil society leader Subhan Hasanli.
Pre-trial detention period extended in cases of Meydan TV and human rights defender Rufat Safarov.
On March 13, 2025, Azerbaijani academic Fazil Gasimov was sentenced to 9 years in prison in a politically motivated case, following his extradition from Turkey and amid reports of torture, due process violations, and prolonged mistreatment in custody.
At least 8 international organization and programs, including 4 offices of the UN, were reportedly ordered to suspend operations amid smear campaigns by state-controlled media outlets.
April 2025
In April 2024, arrests continued in the NGO case targeting USAID and local partners. Civil society organizations’ leaders Asaf Ahmadov, Zamin Zakiyev and Ahmad Mammadzada were arrested, with 2 others Galib Toghrul and Nargiz Mukhtarova put under police supervision and search warrant was issued for Aytaj Aghazada in absentia.
Trials started in Toplum TV and continued in Abzas Media cases, marked by courts’ repeated rejections to defense motions despite allegations of planted evidence, torture and inhuman detention.
Opposition politician Tofig Yagublu marked 30 days of hunger strike ahead of his appeal.
Emin Ibrahimov, activist, government critic received seven years on hooliganism charges on 11 April 2025.
Prominent civil society leader Anar Mammadli faced 6 new charges as activist Anar Abdulla was involved as an accused in this case on 8 April 2025.
April saw a continuation of repressive measures targeting opposition figures as well. Popular Front Party members faced administrative arrests and one received a five-year sentence on dubious drug charges, while a PFPA-backed protest was disallowed.
Reports also surfaced of political prisoners denied medical care and subjected to dangerous transport conditions, underscoring a broader trend of judicial complicity, smear campaigns and shrinking civic space.
Four months observations
During 4 months of 2025, the number of political prisoners has reached to 357, 26 more from lately reported 331 in December 2024 as recorded by the Institute for Peace and Democracy on 12 February 2025 not considering 7 new arrests until end of April 2025[1]
Overall, 18 people were charged in politically motivated criminal charges[2], with 9 arrested for pre-trial period[3], 5 put under police supervision[4], 2 under house arrest[5] and 2 search warrants were issued in absentia[6] between 1 January 2025 and 30 April 2025.
There has been a report of numerous CSO and media professionals with at least 2 persons confirmed were put under politically motivated travel bans[7] during this period. Reportedly, more than dozens of civil-society and media professionals remain under politically motivated travel bans with very few of them publicizing about their cases for fear of risks of persecution.
Furthermore, local courts sentenced 8 people[8] to jail ranging from 3 to 10 years of prison time. Meanwhile, courts extended pre-trial detention periods in 5 instances[9] from 2 to 4 months in this period.
In addition to criminal charges, the authorities have continued using administrative detention as a tool of intimidation whereas 6 members[10] of opposition Parties or their supporters, were subjected to short-term detentions ranging from 10 to 30 days under administrative charges of petty hooliganism and disobeying police.
At least 14 smear campaigns[11] were organized by pro-government media, targeting arrested CSO members, journalists, media outlets and international organizations, aiming at discrediting them.
Between January and April 2025, Azerbaijan’s already dire human rights situation have further deteriorated. Politically motivated court rulings, the resuming of a criminal case from 2014 against NGOs, and intensified pressure on independent media and opposition party members have further deepened an already repressive environment.
The government has continued a routine wave of arrests and interrogations—accompanied by smear campaigns, travel bans, and the denial of medical care to detainees and have further deepened intolerance toward criticism and pluralism in society. Civic activism and democratic oversight have been effectively shut down, leaving virtually no safe space for independent voices in Azerbaijan.
For the full report, please click the following link
[1] Institute for Peace and Democracy, ‘Political Prisoners, 12 February 2025’, (February 2025), https://www.ipd-az.org/political-prisoners-for-12-february-2025/;
Institute for Peace and Democracy, ‘Political Prisoners, 10 December 2024’, (February 2025), https://www.ipd-az.org/ru/political-prisoners-for-10-december2024/
[2] NGO; 1. Anar Abdullayev, 2. Elgiz Gahraman, 3. Mammad Mammadzada, 4. Bashir Suleymanli, 5. Asaf Ahmadov, 6. Zamin Zakiyev, 7. Ahmad Mammadzada, 8. Galib Toghrul, 9. Hafiz Hasanov, 10. Subhan Hasanli, 11. Aytaj Aghazada, 12. Nargiz Mukhtarova, 13. Mehriban Rahimli (Representative of the German Marshall Fund);
Media; 14. Shahnaz Baylargizi, 15. Shamshad Aghayev, 16. Nurlan Gahramanli, 17. Fatima Movlamli; Farid Ismayilov
[3] Media; 1. Farid Ismayilov, 2. Shamshad Aghayev, 3. Nurlan Gahramanli, 4. Fatima Movlamli, 5. Shahnaz Baylargizi (was later placed under house arrest)
NGO; 6. Mammad Mammadzada, 7. Bashir Suleymanli, 8. Zamin Zakiyev, 9. Asaf Ahmadov, 10. Ahmad Mammadzada
[4] 1. Anar Abdulla, 2. Elgiz Gahraman, 3. Nargiz Mukhtarova, 4. Mehriban Rahimli, 5. Galib Toghrul
[5] 1. Shahnaz Baylargizi (Media), 2. Hafiz Hasanov (NGO)
[6] 1. Subhan Hasanli (NGO), 2. Aytaj Aghazada (NGO)
[7] Meydan TV; 1. Ulviyya Guliyeva, 2. Khanim Mustafayeva
[8] 1. Bakhtiyar Hajiyev – 10 years, 2. Rail Abbasov – 6 years 6 months, 3. Afiaddin Mammadov – 8 years, 4. Tofig Yagublu – 9 years, 5. Emin Ibrahimov – 7 years, 6. Mehman Aliyev – 5 years, 7. Mohyaddin Orujov – 3 years, Fazil Gasimov – 9 years.
[9] 1. Meydan TV (8 people)– 3 months, 2. Imran Aliyev – 3 months, 3. Anar Mammadli – 3 months, 4. Azar Gasimli – 2 months, 5. Rufat Safarov – 2 months
[10] Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan; 1. Alisahib Karimov, 2. Asgar Aghasoy, 3. Ramil Eynaliyev, 4. Elnur Guliyev, 5. Zaur Rzali – 30 days
Musavat Party; 1. Alikram Khurshidov – 10 days
[11] See Footnotes No. 2, 30, 36, 54, 56, 59, 62, 67, 83 for details.
