The security detail of President Ilham Aliyev assaulted Azerbaijani protesters in Washington as they gathered to confront him on Thursday. The beatings, which took place in plain view of US police officers, were captured on film and widely circulated on social media.
Among them was Rahim Yagublu, son of prominent politician Tofig Yagublu, who was sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of fraud and forgery in March 2025.
Aliyev and his entourage were in Washington to attend the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.
Footage of the incident showed Aliyev’s guards attacking peaceful protesters who were shouting in Azerbaijani, ‘freedom to political prisoners’.
Yagublu stated on social media that their goal was simply to demand the release of government critics in Azerbaijan.
‘We peacefully demanded freedom for the political critics, journalists, and civil society members. We did not try to provoke any action. In Azerbaijan, no one is able to protest against Ilham Aliyev, for more than seven years the freedom of assembly has been prohibited, and we would like our voices to be heard’.
Aytan Farhadova
He said he had been beaten by the guards, one of whom struck him in the face.
‘Unfortunately, they brutally attacked us and didn’t allow us to shout our slogans. They beat me, kicked me, and ruined my jacket. However, I did not insult them verbally’.
Another video shows one of the protesters, Adil Amrakhly, being beaten, leaving him with a black eye, and bruised forehead and nose.
‘He feels bad, he’s nauseous, and we’ve already called an ambulance’, an unnamed person said in the video.
Posted by Yagublu Rahim on Thursday 19 February 2026
According to the Washington Post, an ambulance arrived on the scene and medical personnel examined the health of the beaten protesters, but none of them were ultimately hospitalised.
Later, Amrakhly told the Washington Post that ‘the attack came as protesters ran from the hotel’s front entrance to a different entrance, to try to prevent Aliyev from slipping by without notice’.
Amrakhly is a blogger and a member of the union American Organisation of Azerbaijani Political Refugees (AOAPR).
The organisation’s social media page said that the union was founded by exiled Azerbaijani people who live in the US and that the body ‘rejects violence and illegal actions’.
‘The organisation’s goal is to wage a civil and democratic struggle against the illegal actions of the Azerbaijani regime’.
As the video began to circulate on social media, Azerbaijani pro-government media claimed that a ‘dangerous group’ tried to enter the hotel where Aliyev was staying.
The pro-government media outlet Qafqazinfo wrote that ‘anti-Azerbaijani elements’ living abroad ‘aggressively and provocatively’ attempted to enter the hotel.
‘Azerbaijani presidential security officers, together with American police, quickly intervened, professionally neutralised these individuals, and prevented the sabotage attempt’, wrote Qafqazinfo.
Nonetheless, the Washington Post reported that ‘the incident did not occur on hotel property or involve hotel staff’.
In a response to a media inquiry from OC Media, the Washington police department said they were ‘aware of the incident’, but that no arrests had been made.
Washington police spokesperson Tom Lynch confirmed to the Washington Post that the incident ‘involved Azerbaijani security guards’, but did not clarify if the US police had intervened, or if the guards in question were still in the US. Lynch said the matter was ‘referred to the State Department’.
Later, Azerbaijan’s Embassy in the US issued its own statement on the matter, claiming that ‘a group of protestors committed provocative actions’ and that ‘the protesters violently attempted to enter the protected area and took offensive actions against the Presidential vehicle’.
‘This group also used indecent expressions against the leadership of Azerbaijan. The Presidential Security Service had no choice but to immediately intervene, since any attempt to obstruct or physically interfere with a protected vehicle carrying the head of state constitutes a serious security concern. Protective responses, as a standard practice, were aimed solely at ensuring the safety and security’.
The embassy further pushed back against the framing of the incident, saying, ‘we resolutely reject any attempt to mischaracterise and disseminate allegations on the security measures taken in response to actions targeting a country’s leader and a protected motorcade. Azerbaijan’s security personnel always operate in strict coordination with the host country’.
Editor’s note: this article has been updated to include a response from the Washington police department to OC Media and a statement from Azerbaijan’s Embassy in the US.
Yousef Bardouka
This article was translated into Armenian and republished by our partner CivilNet.
