Jailed opposition leader Ali Karimli faces new prison curbs

Ali Karimli

The defence committee of jailed Azerbaijani opposition leader Ali Karimli says his detention conditions have been severely restricted following an interview with a French broadcaster.

Mr Karimli, who has been held in a State Security Service (DTX) pre-trial facility for nearly eight months, is reportedly facing increased physical and psychological pressure.

His committee said the latest restrictions, which include a ban on receiving food parcels from his family and the confiscation of his handwritten legal notes, were introduced after he gave an interview to the television channel France 24.

"We believe these measures are a direct response to his international media appearances," a spokesperson for the defence committee said, alleging the actions were taken on the direct orders of President Ilham Aliyev.

According to the committee, Mr Karimli has been kept in a cell with a mentally ill inmate who is facing terrorism charges. The man reportedly makes loud noises throughout the night, leaving the opposition leader sleep-deprived.

Previous restrictions on family visits, telephone calls, open-air exercise, and access to daily news remain in place, his lawyers said. They added that local courts have refused to hear their formal complaints regarding his treatment.

Mr Karimli, the chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (AXCP), was arrested on 29 November 2025 alongside Mammad Ibrahim, a member of the party’s governing assembly.

Both men are accused of attempting to violently overthrow the constitutional order. The state has linked their prosecution to an ongoing investigation into Ramiz Mehdiyev, the former head of the Presidential Administration.

Supporters, defence lawyers, and international human rights organisations have strongly rejected the charges, calling them politically motivated.

"The charges are fabricated and aimed at eliminating opposition activity in Azerbaijan," his defence team said in a statement.

More than 20 members and activists of the AXCP are currently detained in the country. The Union for the Freedom of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan, a local monitoring group, estimates that there are currently 328 political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani government has repeatedly denied accusations of carrying out politically motivated arrests.

Officials maintain that all individuals in custody have been charged with specific criminal offences under the country's penal code, rather than for their political beliefs or activities.