Mass Detentions in Baku During Protest for Teen Found Dead Under Suspicious Circumstances

Elgun Ibrahimov

More than 50 people were reportedly detained during a peaceful protest in the Azerbaijani capital on June 1, as demonstrators gathered to demand justice for 18-year-old Elgun Ibrahimov, whose mysterious death in Ganja last month has alarmed the public and raised serious questions.

The protest, organized near Baku’s “28 May” metro station on International Children’s Day, was meant to draw attention not only to Ibrahimov’s case but also to other children who have died under suspicious circumstances or been victims of early marriage in recent years.

Activist Gulnara Mehdiyeva reported on Facebook that police intercepted numerous individuals in the area, many of whom had no visible involvement in the protest. “They were detained, taken to police stations, had their phones confiscated, and their private messages checked,” she wrote, citing an unnamed source.

She added that contacts of the detainees received a flurry of suspicious follow requests from fake social media accounts. “Preliminary reports suggest more than 50 people were detained. While some have been released, most remain in custody, and their phones have not been returned,” Mehdiyeva noted. “All had their fingerprints taken. The exact number of detainees is unclear because there are no independent journalists in the country to document such incidents.”

No official statement has been released by law enforcement authorities regarding the protest or the detentions.

Ibrahimov was found on May 12 with multiple injuries in the yard of an unused dormitory in Ganja. He died the next day in hospital. In a May 29 statement, law enforcement claimed he died from injuries sustained in a fall. However, his family insists he was beaten.

A video shared on social media, reportedly filmed at the scene, features a paramedic saying, “They beat him badly.”

Protesters on June 1 displayed images of Ibrahimov and handed out flyers with the message: “Don’t stay silent — the silence will come for you next.” In other footage, plainclothes individuals can be seen pursuing one of the demonstrators.

The protest and the state’s response have added urgency to civil society calls for transparency and accountability, especially in cases involving youth violence and state suppression of dissent.