Azeri rights defenders note increased repressions in their country

In 2024, Azerbaijan saw increased repressions against journalists, human rights defenders and believers; and the number of political prisoners increased sharply. The police began using harsher measures in conducting repressions.

The Monitoring Centre for Political Prisoners has released a report on the human rights situation in Azerbaijan in 2024.

"As compared to 2023, the number of political prisoners has increased by a third and had reached 331 persons by December 10," Elshan Gasanov, head of the human rights organization, has stated, noting that "traditionally, the largest of among political prisoners are believers." "However, the 2024 trend was a significant increase in the number of journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders among them. Authorities present them as members of the 'fifth column of the West'," Mr Gasanov has added.

Another problem is that often under the pretext of "fighting drug trafficking," the Azeri Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) used to arrest activists, members of political parties, journalists and bloggers. During 2024, members of the "Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan", Razi Alyshov and Sakhib Mamedzade, activists Elvin Mustafaev and Aikhan Israfilov were arrested and convicted within such cases.

Last year was marked by the arrests of people involved in defending human rights; in particular, of Anar Mamedli, the head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Training Centre (EMDTC), Rufat Safarov, the head of the "Defence Line" NGO, as well as of Azer Gasimli, the director of the Political Management Institute.

Deaths of inmates in jail have also become more frequent: over 40 such cases were registered in 2024. Rights defenders are still not allowed to monitor jails.