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An Azerbaijani court rejected a complaint by peace activist Bahruz Samadov about his time in a punishment cell
- IHR
- Nov 17
- 3 min read
On November 17, a court session took place at Penitentiary Institution No. 11 in Azerbaijan. The session addressed a complaint from Bahruz Samadov, a jailed academic and peace activist, about his detention in a karser (punishment cell). Samadov, a PhD student from Charles University in the Czech Republic, and his lawyer, Zibeyda Sadıqova, were present at the session and argued against the detention.
The court turned down the complaint without a review. The judge said the Baku Administrative Court should hear the case instead.
On that same day, a hearing was planned for a separate motion from the prison to move Samadov to the closed section of the Umbakı Penitentiary Complex, but it was delayed. This was because his lawyer, Ms. Sadıqova, couldn't come because of scheduling issues.
Samadov has been in the isolation cell since around October 20-21, 2024, and his time there was recently extended by another month. The prison said the reason was breaking internal rules. Public activist Amrah Təhməzov later posted on Facebook that the prison leader said the continuing isolation was needed to stop a possible fight with a Karabakh war veteran in the general ward, given that Samadov is charged with state treason. Samadov’s family said that the activist has tried to kill himself twice while in jail. The Penitentiary Service hasn't commented on these recent events.
Bahruz Samadov is known for his research on the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict and his critical writings about the Azerbaijani government. He was arrested by the State Security Service on August 21, 2024. He was charged under Article 274 of the Criminal Code (state treason) for supposedly working with Armenian special services.
On June 23, 2025, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced Samadov to 15 years in prison. The Baku Court of Appeals then upheld this sentence on September 3, 2025. Samadov has always denied the charges. He stated in court that he has always supported peace and never said Nagorno-Karabakh was Armenian territory. Local and international human rights groups believe his arrest is politically motivated.An Azerbaijani court rejected a complaint by peace activist Bahruz Samadov about his time in a punishment cell.
On November 17, a court session took place at Penitentiary Institution No. 11 in Azerbaijan. The session addressed a complaint from Bahruz Samadov, a jailed academic and peace activist, about his detention in a karser (punishment cell). Samadov, a PhD student from Charles University in the Czech Republic, and his lawyer, Zibeyda Sadıqova, were present at the session and argued against the detention.
The court turned down the complaint without a review. The judge said the Baku Administrative Court should hear the case instead.
On that same day, a hearing was planned for a separate motion from the prison to move Samadov to the closed section of the Umbakı Penitentiary Complex, but it was delayed. This was because his lawyer, Ms. Sadıqova, couldn't come because of scheduling issues.
Samadov has been in the isolation cell since around October 20-21, 2024, and his time there was recently extended by another month. The prison said the reason was breaking internal rules. Public activist Amrah Təhməzov later posted on Facebook that the prison leader said the continuing isolation was needed to stop a possible fight with a Karabakh war veteran in the general ward, given that Samadov is charged with state treason. Samadov’s family said that the activist has tried to kill himself twice while in jail. The Penitentiary Service hasn't commented on these recent events.
Bahruz Samadov is known for his research on the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict and his critical writings about the Azerbaijani government. He was arrested by the State Security Service on August 21, 2024. He was charged under Article 274 of the Criminal Code (state treason) for supposedly working with Armenian special services.
On June 23, 2025, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced Samadov to 15 years in prison. The Baku Court of Appeals then upheld this sentence on September 3, 2025. Samadov has always denied the charges. He stated in court that he has always supported peace and never said Nagorno-Karabakh was Armenian territory. Local and international human rights groups believe his arrest is politically motivated.
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