Latest News & Updates

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

Farid Mehralizade An imprisoned Azerbaijani journalist has marked two years in detention by releasing a rare account of life inside the country’s prison system. Farid Mehralizade, an economist and reporter for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), was arrested on 30 May 2024 as part of a sweeping government crackdown on independent media. In a letter smuggled from his cell to mark the anniversary, Mehralizade described the emotional toll of his imprisonment, particularly

Zabil Qahramanov An appeal court in Azerbaijan has rejected a bid to free prominent defence lawyer Zabil Qahramanov, who will remain in custody until late July as prosecutors finalise their investigation. Judge Qadim Babayev of the Baku Court of Appeal upheld a previous ruling keeping Mr Qahramanov in pre-trial detention until 23 July 2026. Relatives of the lawyer told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that the investigation is expected to finish in the coming days, af

Fatima Movlamli An imprisoned Azerbaijani journalist has urged the country's children to "seek the truth" and question government narratives, in a letter published on International Children's Day. Fatima Movlamli, who is currently being held at a Baku detention facility under the controversial "Meydan TV case", released the open letter on her Facebook page on Monday. Writing from her prison cell to mark the international holiday on 1 June, Movlamli warned young people that th

Kenan Zeynalov An Azerbaijani opposition activist on trial for stabbing has accused police of orchestrating a trap after officers arrived immediately at the scene of the alleged incident. Kenan Zeynalov, a volunteer bodyguard for opposition leader Ali Kerimli, denies stabbing Anar Rahimov in the capital, Baku, in March last year. During a court hearing on Monday, Mr Zeynalov's defence lawyer requested the victim's mobile phone records to investigate who he had contacted on th

Iran has executed two men accused of rioting during recent anti-government protests, amid reports from rights groups that they were Kurdish political prisoners put to death in secret. The state-linked Mizan news agency named the men as Mehrdad Mohammadiniya and Ashkan Maliki. Mizan said the two were the "main organisers" behind the burning of the Jafari mosque in Tehran's Gisha neighbourhood. The agency reported that they were executed on Monday morning after their death sent

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has begun final negotiations in Geneva to establish the first legally binding global rules protecting digital platform workers. The talks, which began on 1 June, focus on whether fundamental rights such as minimum wage, healthcare, and sick leave should apply to everyone working on digital apps. The UN agency hopes to reach an agreement on the mandatory rules and recommendations by the end of next week, following initial discussions

Alasgar Mammadli The family of jailed Azerbaijani media expert Alasgar Mammadli say prison authorities in Baku have denied him a visit from his 82-year-old mother. Mr Mammadli, the co-founder of the independent online news outlet Toplum TV, has been held in pre-trial detention for 26 months on charges his supporters say are politically motivated. Writing on social media, his wife Gunay Mammadli said his elderly mother and his sister, who is suffering from cancer, had travelle

Police in Azerbaijan have forcibly seized a European Union (EU) flag from an activist during an opposition rally marking the country's Independence Day. The incident took place on Thursday in Novkhani, a town north of the capital Baku, where opposition-aligned groups gather annually to celebrate the foundation of the short-lived 1918 Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. A video shared by local media outlet Azadliq showed police officers surrounding a female demonstrator as she att

Farid Mehralizade Jailed Azerbaijani journalist Farid Mehralizade marks two years in prison An Azerbaijani journalist and economist sentenced to nine years in prison has marked two years of detention by sharing his reflections on prison life and the country's economy. Farid Mehralizade, a contributor to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), was arrested on 30 May 2024 during a wider crackdown on the independent news outlet Abzas Media. Human rights groups have condemned t

Ramil Babayev The health of detained Azerbaijani activist Ramil Babayev has deteriorated significantly after he resumed a hunger strike in a Baku detention facility, his family says. Babayev, an employee of the independent Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI), has been refusing food since 25 May. His family visited him on Saturday, 30 May, and urged him to halt the protest, but relatives said he refused to stop until his demands were met. They added that other inmates h

Belkisa Mintsaeva A senior Chechen official has released a video of a woman who disappeared six weeks ago after reportedly being detained by security forces. Belkisa Mintsaeva vanished in mid-April after travelling to the Russian republic to seek custody of her children. Her sudden appearance in the footage comes after the Russian Prosecutor General's Office ordered an inquiry into her suspected unlawful detention. In the footage, which appears to be self-recorded, Mintsaeva

Zurab Menteshashvili A Tbilisi court has sentenced a 61-year-old protester to nine months in prison for blocking a road, the first such criminal conviction under Georgia's controversial new assembly laws. Zurab Menteshashvili was convicted on Friday of repeatedly blocking Rustaveli Avenue in the capital, Tbilisi, during anti-government demonstrations. Having already spent seven months in pre-trial custody since his arrest in October last year, he is expected to be released in

A committee of the Council of Europe has warned of a total collapse of media freedom in Azerbaijan, accusing authorities of systematically dismantling democratic pluralism.