
Imprisoned Azerbaijani peace activist Bahruz Samadov appeals to Pashinyan
Samadov faces a possible life sentence in Azerbaijan on treason charges.
Samadov faces a possible life sentence in Azerbaijan on treason charges.
Samadov has cited his mistreatment in detention and the authorities denying him medical care.
Azerbaijani activist Ramazan Taghiyev was told by passport control at Baku’s airport on Tuesday that he could not leave the country due to a travel ban. According to Taghiyev, no state agencies informed him of any restrictions beforehand, and the money he spent on his flight ticket was not compensated. Taghiyev was leaving Azerbaijan to study abroad in Poland. While Azerbaijani citizens can receive a travel ban if they fail to apply to the military commissariat to acquire official documen
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 Samadov’s whereabouts. Samadov was visiting Azerbaijan while on holiday from his studies, and had gone missing that afternoon, shortly before he was expected to meet a friend. After two days of silenc
Bahruz Samadov, a political analyst, OC Media contributor, and outspoken advocate for peace with Armenia has been arrested in Azerbaijan and charged with treason. His arrest was preceded by the arrest of another researcher, Iqbal Abilov, on the same charges, leading many to fear that Azerbaijan has begun targeting researchers and peace activists. This week, we spoke with journalist Arzu Geybulla about the significance of Samadov’s arrest and the charges pressed against him
Amnesty International has called on the Azerbaijani government to release OC Media contributor Bahruz Samadov and other government critics targeted in the lead-up to Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections. Samadov, a political analyst and outspoken advocate for peace with Armenia, was arrested on 21 August and charged with high treason over his contact with Armenian researchers and peace activists. Similar charges were filed against Talysh minority researcher Igbal Abilov in July. In their s
Bahruz Samadov, an Azerbaijani academic and freelance journalist detained on charges of treason on 21 August, has been denied a plea for release from four months of pre-trial detention. The Baku Court of Appeals rejected the motion on Tuesday. On 23 August, Baku’s Sabail District Court remanded Samadov to four months of pre-trial custody. Samadov, a 28-year-old doctoral student at Charles University in Prague and a frequent contributor to OC Media, is facing charges of ‘high treason’, which