Imprisoned Labor Rights Activist Elvin Mustafayev Held in Solitary Confinement

Elvin Mustafayev

It has been reported that Elvin Mustafayev, a detained member of the “Labor Desk” Trade Unions Confederation, has been transferred to Penitentiary Facility No. 6 and placed in a disciplinary cell (known as “kars”).

Mustafayev, who had previously been held at Penitentiary Facility No. 13, announced on 6 May that he was beginning a hunger strike in support of opposition politician Tofig Yagublu and other political prisoners, as well as in protest against violations of prisoners’ rights. According to his family, they have not been able to contact him since that date.

His relatives, who provided the information to Meydan TV on 19 May, said they learned nearly two weeks later that Mustafayev had been transferred to Penitentiary Facility No. 6 and placed in solitary confinement. They have voiced concern about his health.

The “Labor Desk” had also released a statement on 14 May noting that Mustafayev faced pressure after beginning the hunger strike and was subsequently relocated, though at the time his whereabouts were unknown.

As of 19 May, no response has been received from the Penitentiary Service or other official institutions regarding his condition.

Elvin Mustafayev was arrested in August 2023 on charges of drug trafficking. On 31 January 2024, the Baku Serious Crimes Court sentenced him to three years in prison. He has rejected the charges and linked them to his work with the “Labor Desk.”

“When I left the store, four men violently attacked me. They immediately took my phone. I was taken to a station. They said that if I didn’t confess, they would fabricate a rape charge using a woman or accuse me of being an 'Iranian agent' and imprison me,” Mustafayev recounted.

Earlier, he had been transferred to a medical facility due to health issues but was later returned to prison, prompting him to go on hunger strike in protest.

The “Labor Desk” Trade Unions Confederation was founded in 2022 to defend workers' rights in Azerbaijan. Four of its members — Chairperson Afaddin Mammadov and members Aykhan Israfilov, Elvin Mustafayev, and Mohyaddin Orujov — are currently in detention. Although they face various charges, all four consider the accusations to be fabricated and politically motivated.

According to lists compiled by local human rights organizations, there are currently about 350 political prisoners in Azerbaijan. Authorities deny this, claiming that those listed have been prosecuted solely for their actions.

International human rights organizations, the U.S. State Department, and several Western diplomats based in Baku have called on the Azerbaijani government to release those unjustly detained and to end pressure on independent media and civil society.Imprisoned Labor Rights Activist Elvin Mustafayev Held in Solitary Confinement

Published: 19 May 2025

It has been reported that Elvin Mustafayev, a detained member of the “Labor Desk” Trade Unions Confederation, has been transferred to Penitentiary Facility No. 6 and placed in a disciplinary cell (known as “kars”).

Mustafayev, who had previously been held at Penitentiary Facility No. 13, announced on 6 May that he was beginning a hunger strike in support of opposition politician Tofig Yagublu and other political prisoners, as well as in protest against violations of prisoners’ rights. According to his family, they have not been able to contact him since that date.

His relatives, who provided the information to Meydan TV on 19 May, said they learned nearly two weeks later that Mustafayev had been transferred to Penitentiary Facility No. 6 and placed in solitary confinement. They have voiced concern about his health.

The “Labor Desk” had also released a statement on 14 May noting that Mustafayev faced pressure after beginning the hunger strike and was subsequently relocated, though at the time his whereabouts were unknown.

As of 19 May, no response has been received from the Penitentiary Service or other official institutions regarding his condition.

Elvin Mustafayev was arrested in August 2023 on charges of drug trafficking. On 31 January 2024, the Baku Serious Crimes Court sentenced him to three years in prison. He has rejected the charges and linked them to his work with the “Labor Desk.”

“When I left the store, four men violently attacked me. They immediately took my phone. I was taken to a station. They said that if I didn’t confess, they would fabricate a rape charge using a woman or accuse me of being an 'Iranian agent' and imprison me,” Mustafayev recounted.

Earlier, he had been transferred to a medical facility due to health issues but was later returned to prison, prompting him to go on hunger strike in protest.

The “Labor Desk” Trade Unions Confederation was founded in 2022 to defend workers' rights in Azerbaijan. Four of its members — Chairperson Afaddin Mammadov and members Aykhan Israfilov, Elvin Mustafayev, and Mohyaddin Orujov — are currently in detention. Although they face various charges, all four consider the accusations to be fabricated and politically motivated.

According to lists compiled by local human rights organizations, there are currently about 350 political prisoners in Azerbaijan. Authorities deny this, claiming that those listed have been prosecuted solely for their actions.

International human rights organizations, the U.S. State Department, and several Western diplomats based in Baku have called on the Azerbaijani government to release those unjustly detained and to end pressure on independent media and civil society.