The international free speech organization “Index on Censorship,” based in the United Kingdom, has issued a statement regarding the death of ICT specialist Ilgar Aliyev in custody.
The organization said that Ilgar Aliyev’s death raises serious concerns and demanded a full investigation into all details surrounding the incident.
The statement noted that Ilgar Aliyev had been detained during the wave of arrests targeting independent media in Azerbaijan in 2023. The organization stressed that his death must not go unanswered and called for an independent and transparent investigation.
It was reported that Ilgar Aliyev died on May 1 at Correctional Facility No. 13.
Official statements cited acute cardiovascular failure as the cause of death. Pro-government media outlets also reported that he died due to health complications.
However, it had been reported that Ilgar Aliyev had not complained of any serious illness during his imprisonment.
Ilgar Aliyev was arrested in November 2023. He was initially charged with large-scale illegal drug trafficking, but the charges were later changed to possession of narcotics without intent to sell.
In January 2025, the Baku Court for Serious Crimes sentenced him to four years in prison. The sentence was later reduced to three years.
Ilgar Aliyev denied the charges and stated in court that he did not consider himself guilty.
Reports also claim that his rights were violated during detention, that he was subjected to physical abuse, and that he was pressured to confess to drug use.
In recent years, international organizations have repeatedly expressed concern over the arrests of media representatives and civil society activists in Azerbaijan.
Some journalists and staff associated with AbzasMedia, Toplum TV, Meydan TV, and Meclis.info have been arrested on various financial and smuggling charges.
Those individuals say the charges are politically motivated. Azerbaijani authorities, however, maintain that there is no persecution based on political views in the country and that the arrests are connected to specific legal violations.
