This week saw Ulvi Hasanli’s death threats, the arrest of a political scientist and PhD candidate in Baku, and prison terms for Anar Mammadli and Imran Aliyev extended by three months.
Ulvi Hasanli faces death threats after exposing torture in Baku Detention Center
Ulvi Hasanli, the director of Abzas Media, has reportedly been threatened with death following his exposure to torture cases against prisoners in the Baku Detention Center. His wife, Rubaba Guliyeva, has raised concerns about his safety, claiming that a fellow inmate, a 60-year-old prisoner named Sayavush, has been incited to provoke and threaten Hasanli. Despite a court ruling on Sayavush’s case, he remains in the Baku Pre-trial Detention Center rather than being transferred to a penitentiary, raising suspicions of foul play.
Guliyeva reported that after Hasanli publicized the torture cases, Sayavush repeatedly attacked him and threatened him with a razor, allegedly under the influence of Elnur Ismayilov, the head of the Baku Detention Center. She claimed that Sayavush has had meetings with Ismayilov and suggested that Ismayilov might have played a role in reducing Sayavush’s sentence in exchange for these provocations. Hasanli informed his wife about these incidents during a recent meeting at the detention center, but despite multiple letters from Hasanli and his lawyer to the detention center’s officials, no action has been taken.
Guliyeva has expressed grave concerns for Hasanli’s safety, fearing that Sayavush might attack him even during the night. She has appealed to the Ministry of Justice, the Ombudsman Office, and the Penitentiary Service to investigate the case and ensure Hasanli’s protection. However, the Penitentiary Service has not yet responded to these concerns.
Azerbaijani political scientist Bahruz Samadov detained, home searched by State Security
Bahruz Samadov, a young political scientist and author of articles criticizing the governance in Azerbaijan, was detained on the 21st of August. His grandmother, Zibeyda Osmanova, stated that several individuals in civilian clothes, identifying as employees of the State Security Service, came to their home between 4:00 and 5:00 PM. They searched, claiming it was related to a drug issue, but Samadov was not present at the time, having left earlier to meet a friend. The agents did not find any drugs but confiscated his computer, phone, and important documents, including his passport and university diplomas.
A few hours after the search, Osmanova received a call from someone identifying as a lawyer named Vafa, who informed her that Samadov had been arrested. The caller claimed that Samadov was suspected of writing anti-state articles and that correspondence related to the Karabakh conflict had been found on his phone. Attempts to reach the lawyer for more details were unsuccessful, and it remains unclear under what charges Samadov is being detained.
Samadov’s grandmother emphasized that he is a scholar, currently pursuing a doctorate at Karlov University in the Czech Republic, and has no involvement in drugs or criminal activities. Samadov, also known for his anti-war activism, had returned to Azerbaijan for vacation about a month ago and was scheduled to return to his studies on the day of his detention. The State Security Service has not provided any comment on the matter.
Detention of Azerbaijani activists Anar Mammadli and Imran Aliyev extended by three months
Anar Mammadli, chairman of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Education Center, and Imran Aliyev, head of the Meclis.info website, have had their detention extended by three months as the investigation into their cases continues. This decision was made on the 22nd of August in separate hearings for each activist. The prosecutor argued that their continued detention was necessary to prevent interference with the investigation, suggesting that their release could allow them to influence witnesses or contact other participants in the case.
Both Mammadli and Aliyev, along with their lawyers, strongly objected to the extension of their detention, claiming that the charges against them, including accusations of smuggling, were baseless. They argued that their arrests were politically motivated, aimed at silencing their work in defending human rights and exposing electoral fraud in Azerbaijan. Despite these objections, the court upheld the prosecutor’s request, extending their detention until the end of November.
Anar Mammadli’s organization monitors elections in Azerbaijan, while the Meclis.info website, led by Imran Aliyev, investigates parliamentary activities and highlights issues within the government. Aliyev was initially detained on the 18th of April at Baku airport and claims he was tortured by police, including being subjected to electric shocks, during his detention. Both activists assert their innocence and maintain that their arrests are linked to their public activism.
