Crackdown on Peace Activism: The Hunger Strike of Bahruz Samadov

Bahruz Samadov

Imprisoned peace activist and Charles University doctoral student Bahruz Samadov launched a hunger strike on June 21 in protest of the Azerbaijani state prosecutor’s demand for a 16-year prison sentence under treason charges. By refusing the food delivered to his cell and entering the third day of his protest, Samadov has drawn renewed attention to what supporters call a fabricated case against one of the country’s most vocal critics of war.

Bahruz Samadov, a political analyst and doctoral candidate at Charles University in Prague, built his reputation through incisive commentary on the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and subsequent military operations. A staunch pacifist, his speeches and articles consistently called for reconciliation and criticized official war rhetoric.

• August 21, 2024: Detained by officers of the State Security Service while on academic leave in Baku.

• August 23, 2024: Charged under Article 274 (treason) of the Criminal Code and placed in pre-trial detention by the Sabail District Court.

The Charges and Trial

Prosecutors allege that Samadov collaborated with Armenia’s intelligence services, passing so-called “state secrets” to women of Armenian ethnicity. The indictment claims that his online contacts and research activities amount to espionage.

Samadov vehemently denies all charges. During his April 21 testimony, he asked:

“How could I pass on a state secret I never had? I hadn’t lived in Azerbaijan for six years, I never worked for any government agency, and I never had access to classified documents.”

June 20 HearingAt the most recent session, the state prosecutor asserted that the treason charge had been “proven” in court and formally requested a 16-year prison sentence. Prior to the prosecution’s presentation, Samadov’s defense lawyer objected to closing the judicial investigation and filed multiple motions for additional evidence review—motions that the court denied.

Hunger Strike as Protest

On June 21, Samadov refused the meal delivered to his cell in the pre-trial detention facility. His relatives, speaking to Toplum TV, confirmed that:

“Bahruz Samadov is on the third day of a death hunger strike. He has refused all food brought to him.”

By rejecting nourishment, Samadov aims to highlight what he and his supporters view as a politicized prosecution intended to silence his anti-war activism.

Samadov’s family describes the charges as a blatant attempt to stifle dissent. His lawyer has called the evidence “circumstantial at best,” arguing that no document or testimony establishes any transfer of classified information.

While official comments from the Penitentiary Service remain absent, human rights organizations have in the past condemned Azerbaijan’s use of pre-trial detention against political activists. Hunger strikes, they note, are a frequent—and desperate—tactic by prisoners seeking to draw international attention to their plight.

Article 274 of the Criminal Code carries penalties of up to 20 years or life imprisonment. Legal experts warn that its broad wording can be—and has been—applied in ways that chill freedom of expression, particularly when “national security” is invoked without transparent evidence.

The next—and likely final—court session is scheduled for June 23 at the Baku Court for Serious Crimes. Samadov is expected to deliver his closing statement before the judge considers sentencing.

Should he receive the full 16-year term, he will have the right to appeal to the Supreme Court. Yet even an appeal may take years, during which Samadov could remain in detention.

Bahruz Samadov’s hunger strike underscores the broader struggle for academic freedom and civil society space in Azerbaijan. As he prepares to make his final statement on June 23, the international community watches whether the judiciary will issue a lengthy prison term—or recognize the precarious balance between national security and the right to peaceful dissent.