Latest News & Updates

Social media companies in Azerbaijan face heavy fines if they fail to block children under the age of 16 from creating accounts, under a draft law. Parliamentary committees in Baku discussed the proposals on Monday, following a presidential decree earlier this year to protect children online. Under the draft legislation, tech companies that violate the age restriction rules could be fined up to 40,000 manats (£18,500; $23,500). Officials who fail to enforce the rules face fin

Zabil Gahramanov The criminal investigation into prominent Azerbaijani defence lawyer Zabil Gahramanov has concluded, with prosecutors sending his case to court on fraud and hooliganism charges. Mr Gahramanov, who has been held in pre-trial detention since October 2025, now faces four criminal charges, including abusing his office to commit fraud and resisting authority. The case, which was initially opened by police in the western city of Ganja, was later transferred to the

Afgan Sadygov An Azerbaijani court has ordered the pre-trial detention of independent journalist Afgan Sadygov after reopening an extortion case that prosecutors had previously closed in April. The Binagadi District Court in Baku ruled that Mr Sadygov, the editor-in-chief of the online news outlet Azel TV, must be held in custody until 30 July. His lawyer, Nemat Karimli, said the decision followed a successful appeal by alleged victims to overturn a previous ruling by the Pro

Elvin Mustafayev The family of a jailed Azerbaijani trade unionist says he has been beaten and threatened with new charges after criticising the treatment of a fellow prisoner. Elvin Mustafayev, a member of the independent Workers' Table Trade Unions Confederation, was allegedly assaulted by prison staff at Prison No. 17 before being transferred to a Baku detention facility. His relatives told independent local media that the prison's regime chief, Samit Gafarov, threatened M

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is consuming planetary resources at an unsustainable rate, a United Nations (UN) study has warned. The report, by the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), reveals that data centres now use more electricity than entire nations such as Saudi Arabia. By 2030, the technology's global water footprint is projected to hit 9.3 trillion litres — enough to meet the drinking needs of the world's population

An Azerbaijani court has indefinitely postponed the trial of a group of independent journalists and activists linked to the media outlet Meydan TV, following the promotion of the presiding judge. The Baku Grave Crimes Court on 5 June delayed the hearing, which has faced a series of disruptions in recent weeks. Defence lawyer Rovshana Rahimli told Meydan TV that the delay was due to the failure to appoint a replacement for the former presiding judge, Ayten Aliyeva, who was app

Elvin Mustafayev A jailed Azerbaijani trade union activist has been threatened with a new criminal case after protesting against the treatment of a fellow activist, his family has said. Elvin Mustafayev, a member of the Workers’ Table Trade Unions Confederation (İşçi Masası), is currently serving a three-year sentence at Prison No. 17. His relatives told the independent media outlet Meydan TV that the prison's head of regime, Samit Gafarov, threatened Mustafayev with new char

Natiq Mammadov An Azerbaijani border guard has died in the Nakhchivan exclave after reportedly suffering from shock following a routine medical injection, his family says. Natiq Mammadov, a conscript serving with the State Border Service (DSX), died on 1 June in what his family has described as suspicious circumstances. His father, Namiq Mammadov, told that his son had no prior health issues but fell ill after receiving treatment for a mild fever. They took my son to the med

A court in Azerbaijan's capital Baku has indefinitely postponed the trial of independent journalists from Meydan TV after the presiding judge was promoted to a higher court. The trial at the Baku Grave Crimes Court on 5 June was delayed because a replacement has not yet been appointed for Judge Ayten Aliyeva, who was named to the Baku Court of Appeal last month. Defence lawyer Rovshana Rahimli told Meydan TV that the lack of a new presiding judge was the sole reason for the l

Mehman Huseynov Azerbaijan's parliament is set to tighten regulations on civilian drones, sparking criticism from activists who warn the move will further restrict independent journalism and anti-corruption work. The proposed amendments to the country's aviation law, debated by a parliamentary committee on 4 June, would restrict autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to state-designated geographical zones. Under the draft legislation, the circulation of civilian drones wi

Iqbal Abilov Relatives of jailed Azerbaijani scholar Iqbal Abilov say a Polish publisher has released a collection of his Russian-language poetry as he serves an 18-year prison sentence. The book, published by JKB Print in Warsaw, includes a dedication to Elbayi Karimli, a member of the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP) who reportedly died by suicide in prison custody in December last year. Abilov, an ethnic researcher and editor-in-chief of the journal of the

A court in Azerbaijan has jailed three former senior staff members of a maternity hospital over a fire that killed seven newborn babies. Mehriban Abasquliyeva, the former director of the Republican Perinatal Centre in Baku, was sentenced to seven years and three months. Two of her former colleagues, Hamlet Mustafayev and Elnur Ahmadli, received sentences of five years and eight months, and five years and two months respectively. All three defendants were arrested in the Baku

Ramil Babayev An imprisoned Azerbaijani activist has ended a 10-day hunger strike after suffering severe health complications and receiving pledges from prison authorities to end inmate abuse. Ramil Babayev, an associate of the independent Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI), announced the end of his strike in a letter released through his family on 4 June. Mr Babayev, who is being held in the Baku Detention Centre, said his physical condition had deteriorated rapidly.

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Azerbaijan could lose their official status if they reject government-allocated housing, under a draft law debated by parliamentary committees. The proposed amendment to the legislation on refugees and IDPs was discussed during a joint session of the parliament's human rights and social policy committees on Wednesday, the local APA news agency reported. Under current laws, displaced citizens only lose their status if they return to their

An annual index by European advocacy group ILGA-Europe has ranked Azerbaijan second-to-last in Europe for its protection of LGBT rights. The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe) published its 2026 Rainbow Map, which measures legal and policy protections on a 100-point scale across 49 countries. Azerbaijan was awarded a score of just 2%, placing it 48th on the list. Only Russia scored lower, while Spain topped the index with 89%, f

Alikram Namazov The family of an Azerbaijani religious activist detained in March say he has been falsely charged with drug offences because of his charity work helping the relatives of imprisoned believers. Alikram Namazov was detained on 12 March while leaving his home. His mother, said he was held for five days at the Khirdalan District Police Department before criminal charges were filed. Since his arrest, Mr Namazov has been denied contact with his family, who say they h

Dayanat Chalabiyev An Azerbaijani schoolteacher and government critic has pleaded not guilty to stabbing charges at the start of his trial in Baku, claiming the prosecution is a politically motivated fabrication. Dayanat Chalabiyev, aged 45, has been held in pre-trial detention for six months following his arrest in December last year. He faces charges of intentionally causing serious harm to health with hooliganism intent, which carries a potential sentence of six to 11 year

Two independent Azerbaijani media outlets whose journalists face lengthy prison terms have been shortlisted for a prestigious international press freedom award. The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) named Meydan TV and AbzasMedia among 11 nominees for the 2026 Free Media Pioneer Award. Both organisations have faced severe crackdowns from authorities in Azerbaijan, with dozens of their journalists jailed on what rights groups call politi

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has announced a new ruling regarding the violation of the right to freedom of movement of two Azerbaijani citizens, whose travel outside the country was unlawfully restricted. The Court found that the "STOP" travel ban imposed on the applicants, Zeynab Abdullayeva and Elnara Sarjanova, was unlawful and that their domestic complaints had not been properly investigated. According to the ruling, the Azerbaijani government must pay €3,000

A group of jailed Azerbaijani journalists and civil rights activists have declared 18 November as a national day to mark the plight of political prisoners. The date marks the anniversary of the death of Faina Kunqurova, a political activist who died during a prison hunger strike in 2007, aged 33. She is widely regarded by domestic activists as the country’s first female political prisoner under the current administration. In a joint statement published by independent media ou