Civic Solidarity Platform Article: Multi-language Version

Civic Solidarity Platform Speaks Out Against Increased Pressure on Emin and Mehman Huseynov

The Civic Solidarity Platform (CSP) has formally condemned the increasing persecution of Azerbaijani human rights advocate Emin Huseynov and the death threats against his brother, journalist Mehman Huseynov. Emin Huseynov, a co-founder of the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS), previously sought protection in Switzerland after facing serious trouble in Azerbaijan. From 2014 to 2015, he stayed in the Swiss embassy in Baku for ten months before being taken to Switzerland on a government plane after high-level talks. Though he was granted refugee status after being stripped of his citizenship by the President of Azerbaijan, he now faces new threats even in Switzerland.

From Geneva, Emin Huseynov has continued his advocacy efforts. He secured consultative status for the IRFS with the Council of Europe and the UN Economic and Social Council. He regularly works with United Nations human rights groups, monitoring bodies of the Council of Europe, and the OSCE. He has become a known international voice, documenting oppression and helping persecuted activists in the South Caucasus, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. His work was key to the 2019 European Parliament resolution that led to the release of over 50 political prisoners. Along with his advocacy, Huseynov has continued his investigative journalism through his YouTube channel, OBYEKTIV TV, where he reports on corruption within the Azerbaijani government.

The current situation started after Huseynov questioned President Ilham Aliyev at the Munich Security Conference in February 2026 about the repression of independent media. The President avoided the questions and denied that independent media existed. Then, Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva publicly mocked Huseynov about his past escape from Baku and wished him good health, which many saw as a hidden threat. This led to a smear campaign in Azerbaijan, portraying Huseynov as a foreign spy and Switzerland as an enemy. Pro-government journalists even called to restore the dignity of the leadership, which is a phrase that suggests retaliation in Azerbaijani politics.

In late February 2026, Huseynov reported threats in Geneva. After a livestreamed event, he was followed by armed men and then survived what seemed to be an attempted kidnapping near the United Nations Office. He escaped only when he went to UN security, and a police car happened to drive by, scaring away the people in a suspicious van. After these incidents, there were reports of constant surveillance and online harassment. Online messages mentioned his 2015 evacuation, saying that Switzerland would not be able to save him again. This intimidation is part of a larger pattern of targeting Azerbaijani dissidents in various OSCE countries, including the fatal stabbing of Vidadi Iskanderli in France in 2024.

The Civic Solidarity Platform is now calling on international organizations to act. They are asking Swiss authorities to conduct a risk assessment, provide protection for Huseynov, and investigate the surveillance. The CSP is also calling on European Union institutions, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE to publicly condemn these acts and raise the cases of the Huseynov brothers in all talks with Azerbaijan. They stress that the United Nations must ensure the safety of human rights defenders who work with its groups and demand that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights ask the Azerbaijani government for answers. The CSP believes that protecting human rights defenders is an international responsibility that requires action to prevent the spread of cross-border repression.