Armenia
Germany wants peace in the South Caucasus, President Steinmeier says during historic Armenian visit
It is the first time a German president has visited Armenia, in a trip that will also see him travel to Azerbaijan.
Bahruz Samadov, a researcher and OC Media contributor detained on charges of treason in Azerbaijan, has ended his hunger strike after being deprived of medical care and being held in poor conditions.
On Tuesday evening, Azerbaijani journalist Ulviyya Ali wrote on X that Samadov was ‘forced’ to end his hunger strike four days after beginning it, as a result of being mistreated in detention.
‘According to his own statement, during his transfer to [the] Baku Investigation Detention Centre No. 1, he was kept in quarantine for three days and had to sleep on the floor’, she wrote.
‘During this time, Bahruz Samadov, who was held in harsh, cold conditions, said he was deprived of a medical examination and, as a result, was forced to stop his hunger strike’.
Meydan TV has reported that Samadov announced that he would go on hunger strike after the Baku Grave Crimes Court rejected his petition to be placed under house arrest on 21 February.
The court also ordered his transfer to Baku Investigation Detention Centre No. 1 from the State Security Service’s penitentiary.
His next court appearance is scheduled for 7 March, in a session that will be held behind closed doors. Meydan TV has reported that Samadov’s lawyer, Zibeyda Sadigova, will file a motion for the trial to be held in public.
Samadov had been studying for a PhD at Charles University in Prague before his arrest on charges of treason on 21 August 2024. While currently not publicly associated with any of the country’s major opposition groups, Samadov attended opposition Popular Front Party meetings in his youth and has written for different media outlets, including OC Media, about authoritarianism in Azerbaijan and peace with Armenia.
If found guilty of treason, he faces between 12–20 years in prison, or possibly a life sentence.
When advocating for peace becomes treason — the arrest of Bahruz Samadov
Azerbaijan’s arrest of researcher and writer Bahruz Samadov has led to widespread outcry, and speculation about the implications for the prospect of peace or further war with Armenia. On the evening of 21 August, Azerbaijani social media filled with posts calling for any information on Bahruz Sam…
Yousef Bardouka
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