AXCP Activist Sahib Mammadzade Denied Proper Prison Transfer Amid Political Persecution Claims

Sahib Mammadzade

Despite a final court ruling sentencing him to serve his 3-year, 6-month term in a general-regime prison, Sahib Mammadzade, head of the Dashkasan branch of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (AXCP), remains confined at the Umbaki Penitentiary under harsher conditions. His sister, Tacira Mammadzade, has publicly criticized the authorities for this continued mistreatment and insists that the drug charges against him are fabricated.

Sahib Mammadzade was arrested on March 18, 2024, while transporting livestock to summer pastures with his sister. Authorities claim they found 23 grams of drugs on him, and he was subsequently charged under Article 234.4.3 of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code (possession with intent to sell). Initially sentenced in December 2024 by the Ganja Serious Crimes Court to 6 years and 6 months in prison, his sentence was reduced to 3 years and 6 months by the appellate court on March 7, 2025. The court ruling explicitly states that he should serve his sentence in a general-regime penal institution.

However, despite the verdict coming into force, Mammadzade has not been transferred from Umbaki Penitentiary, where he is held in a two-person cell with limited outdoor time—only two hours a day. According to his sister, a provocateur was recently placed in the cell with him in an attempt to incite conflict, but Sahib recognized the tactic and did not engage.

“They’ve framed an entirely innocent man with drugs and separated him from his family, and even that isn’t enough for them,” Tacira Mammadzade said. She emphasized that the current detention conditions violate the court-ordered regime, which should allow her brother more freedom, including the ability to spend the majority of the day outdoors.

Sahib Mammadzade himself denies all charges, calling the case against him a “show” and “performance.” He maintains that the drugs were planted in his pocket, and that the justice system has failed him. “If this were a real court, they would have released me,” he stated during the trial.

A cassation appeal to the Supreme Court is reportedly being prepared to challenge his conviction. Meanwhile, the Penitentiary Service has not responded to inquiries about Mammadzade’s detention conditions or the delay in his transfer.

This case unfolds amid growing concerns over political repression in Azerbaijan. The AXCP reports that nearly 20 of its members are imprisoned for their political views, with party leader Ali Karimli noting that eight activists have been arrested in the past two months alone. Government officials, however, maintain that no one is prosecuted for political beliefs

and that all prisoners face consequences strictly for criminal acts.

Local and international human rights organizations estimate that more than 350 political prisoners are currently held in Azerbaijani jails, underscoring ongoing challenges to freedom of expression and political dissent in the country.

As the legal battle continues and Mammadzade remains in restrictive detention, questions persist about adherence to court rulings and the broader climate of political freedoms in Azerbaijan.