Azerbaijani Authorities Escalate Legal Actions Against Bloggers Abroad
- IHR
- Jun 3
- 4 min read

In early June 2025, Azerbaijani courts issued multiple arrest warrants in absentia for a growing number of bloggers and journalists living abroad, accusing them of inciting mass unrest, disseminating anti-state materials, and various financial crimes. The latest round of decisions targets at least ten individuals based in Germany, France, and elsewhere, marking an intensification of what critics describe as a systematic campaign to silence independent voices.
Since March 2025, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan has summoned several exiled Azerbaijani nationals on suspicion of involvement in criminal activities. Those calls culminated in two sequential Binagadi District Court sessions:
June 2, 2025: Pre-trial detention orders were issued for bloggers Tural Sadigly, Ordokhan Temirkhan (Babirov), and former Azerbaijan International University rector Elshad Abdullayev.
June 3, 2025: In absentia proceedings expanded to include a further seven bloggers: Imameddin Alimanov, Suleyman Suleymanly, Elshad Mammadov, Mohammad Mirzali, Gabil Mammadov, Orkhan Agayev, and Gurban Mammadov.
Previously, in March, the Prosecutor General’s Office had publicly acknowledged summoning emigrants for questioning, but no formal detention orders were issued until June.
New Developments:During the June 3 hearing, the Binagadi District Court reviewed indictments submitted by the Prosecutor General’s Investigation Department. Based on those indictments, the court ruled to apply pre-trial detention measures for the seven bloggers residing abroad. According to official statements, these individuals face charges under:
Article 220.2 (actively disobeying lawful demands of authorities and incitement to mass unrest or violence against citizens), and
Article 281.1 (open calls for the forcible seizure of power, forcible change of Azerbaijan’s constitutional order, or territorial disintegration, including dissemination of related materials).
On June 2, the court had similarly issued detention measures in absentia for:
Tural Sadigly (Germany): Charged under Article 178.3.1 (fraud by an organized group), Article 220.2 (incitement to mass riots), and Article 320 (forgery of documents).
Ordokhan Temirkhan (France): Charged under Article 220.2 (incitement to mass riots) and Article 281.2 (open calls against the state).
Elshad Abdullayev (France): Facing charges under Article 311.1 (bribery), Article 213.1 (tax evasion), and Article 130.1 (illegal removal of a human organ for transplantation).
Additionally, arrest warrants in absentia have been confirmed for:
Ganimat Zahid (France): Editor-in-chief of the “Azadliq” newspaper.
Natig Adilov: Writer for “Azadliq.”
Emin Ahmadbayov: Host of the “Azerbaijan Hour” YouTube channel.
Tural Sadigly’s Response (Germany): In an interview with Abzas Media, Sadigly emphasized that he has not received any official notification of an arrest warrant. He called the charges “fabricated,” accusing the government of orchestrating smear campaigns, sending agents to harm him in Europe, and placing undue pressure on his family in Baku. “For years, the Azerbaijani government has tried to neutralize me in various ways: by damaging my reputation, sending people to physically harm me, and intimidating my relatives at home. When all that failed, they think issuing an arrest warrant will work,” Sadigly said.
Ordokhan Temirkhan (France): Official records list him under Articles 220.2 and 281.2, but Temirkhan has not publicly commented on the latest developments.
Elshad Abdullayev (France): The former university rector faces serious financial and medical-ethics charges. There is no public statement from Abdullayev as of this writing.
Ganimat Zahid’s Reaction (France): In a social media post, Zahid questioned what “horrific crimes” she and her colleagues committed to warrant such radical measures. “I am impatiently waiting to see what terrible crimes we have committed that Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev, in his fervor as a defender of statehood, was forced to endorse such a decision,” she wrote.
For the other six bloggers (Alimanov, Suleymanly, the two Mammadovs, Mirzali, and Agayev), official documents cite only Articles 220.2 and 281.1, but no further details on specific allegations have been released.
Observers note a pattern: Many of the targeted individuals are known for critical commentary on social media or independent journalism. By invoking broad charges—incitement, organized fraud, or even organ-trafficking allegations in extreme cases—the authorities appear to be casting an expansive net. Human rights organizations, both domestic and international, have repeatedly raised concerns that these legal actions serve to intimidate dissenters rather than address genuine criminal behavior.
Legal Harassment vs. Due Process: Issuing detention orders in absentia, without notifying the accused, undermines basic principles of fair trial and the right to defense.
Chilling Effect: Bloggers and journalists living abroad may self-censor to avoid escalating reprisals against themselves or their families back home.
International Implications: Germany and France, where many of the accused reside, could face diplomatic pressure if Azerbaijan attempts extradition or issues international arrest warrants (e.g., Interpol Red Notices).
As of early June 2025, at least ten Azerbaijani bloggers and journalists living abroad face arrest warrants in absentia, with charges ranging from incitement to mass riots to financial crimes. Those targeted deny wrongdoing and characterize the process as politically motivated. While it remains unclear how these warrants will be enforced internationally, the Azerbaijani government’s measures mark a clear escalation in its campaign against dissenting voices. Tensions between freedom of expression advocates and the state are likely to intensify, especially if Azerbaijan pursues formal extradition requests or issues further legal notifications.
What happens next: The accused have not responded to court summons for in-person hearings, and their legal teams—or consular services in Germany and France—have yet to announce formal appeals. Meanwhile, human rights monitors are closely observing developments, warning that these actions set a troubling precedent for press freedom in Azerbaijan.
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