Imprisoned Azerbaijani Dissidents Launch Hunger Strike to Coincide with UN Forum in Baku

Hafiz Babali and Fazil Qasimov

Two high-profile political prisoners in Azerbaijan, economist Fazil Qasimov and investigative journalist Hafiz Babali, have launched a joint hunger strike from Penal Facility No. 2. The protest was timed to coincide with the opening of the United Nations’ 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) in the Azerbaijani capital, according to statements released by their families.

The hunger strike began on May 17 at 3:00 PM, the same day international delegates gathered in Baku for the global forum. Through their relatives, the two prisoners released a joint statement declaring that their action aims to draw the attention of the international community to the persistent issue of political prisoners in Azerbaijan and to protest ongoing domestic political repression. In their appeal, they urged visiting UN officials, heads of state, and government representatives attending WUF13 to actively pressure Azerbaijani authorities for the unconditional release of all political prisoners during their diplomatic meetings.

Fazil Qasimov, a prominent economist who was arrested in Istanbul in August 2023 and subsequently extradited to Azerbaijan, has announced that he will not suspend his protest until his formal appeals to both the Supreme Court Plenum and the Narimanov District Court are addressed. Qasimov is currently conducting a wet hunger strike, consuming only water, but family members warn that he plans to transition to a highly dangerous dry hunger strike if authorities continue to ignore his petitions.

Qasimov’s legal grievances focus on allegations of systematic state misconduct. In his appeal to the Narimanov District Court, he is demanding the annulment of a September 2023 decision that removed his defense attorney, Eldar Gadimi, from his trial. Qasimov claims that his signature on the dismissal request was forged, a claim he asserts was verified by independent forensic analysis. He is calling for official sanctions against the lead investigator, Yusif Yusifov, for orchestrating the forgery. Furthermore, in his petition to the Prosecutor General and the Supreme Court Plenum, Qasimov accuses Ramil Selimov, an officer from the Main Organized Crime Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, of giving false testimony during his trial. He argues that this perjury constitutes newly discovered evidence sufficient to vacate his conviction and dismiss his case.

Qasimov’s arrest was linked to the high-profile case of fellow academic and opposition figure Gubad Ibadoghlu. Arrested on controversial charges of manufacturing and selling counterfeit currency—allegations he has consistently denied—Qasimov was sentenced to nine years in prison by the Baku Grave Crimes Court in March 2025. Ibadoghlu, who faced similar charges alongside accusations of preparing extremist religious materials, was transferred to house arrest in April 2024 and later placed under police supervision, with his case separated from Qasimov's.

Sharing the protest action is investigative journalist Hafiz Babali, who was detained in December 2023 as part of a sweeping state crackdown on the independent outlet Abzas Media. The Baku Grave Crimes Court handed down severe sentences to the outlet’s staff in June 2025, which were subsequently upheld by the Baku Appeals Court in September of the same year. In those proceedings, director Ulvi Hasanli, editor-in-chief Sevinc Vaqifqizi, Babali himself, and Radio Free Europe collaborator Farid Mehralizade were each sentenced to nine years in prison. Additionally, project coordinator Mahammad Kekalov received a sentence of seven years and six months, while journalists Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova were sentenced to eight years.

Both Qasimov and Babali, along with their imprisoned colleagues, continue to maintain their innocence, asserting that the charges against them are politically motivated retaliation for their anti-corruption work and civil advocacy. Local and international human rights watchdogs have universally condemned the convictions, formally classifying both men as political prisoners.