Azerbaijan: Crackdown on Civil Society, Arrests NGO Figures, Targets Exiled Activists
Azerbaijan has intensified its crackdown on civil society, arresting NGO figures and targeting exiled activists and journalists with criminal charges.
Azerbaijani authorities have intensified their crackdown on civil society, arresting two prominent NGO figures and pursuing criminal charges against exiled activists. At least five bloggers living abroad were summoned for questioning Sunday.
Local media reported that the country’s General Prosecutor’s Office accused bloggers Mahammad Mirzali, Qabil Mammadov, Elshad Mammadov, Gurban Mammadvov, and Tural Sadigli of crimes including terrorism, inciting mass riots, fraud, and making public calls for the forcible seizure of power.
Officials said that if they fail to appear for questioning in Azerbaijan, legal proceedings could be initiated against them in absentia, potentially leading to convictions.
All five bloggers are known critics of Azerbaijan’s government.
Lawmaker Elman Nasirov, speaking to the news outlet Pravda.az, warned the bloggers not to expect protection from their host countries.
“They will definitely be brought back to Azerbaijan; it’s just a matter of time,” Nasirov said. “It probably won’t take long. We are hopeful for the near future. Azerbaijan’s law enforcement agencies are working in this direction.”
On Friday, authorities arrested Bashir Suleymanli, head of the Institute for Citizen Rights, and Alpay Mammadzade, head of the Election Monitoring Alliance, according to the pro-government news agency APA. Both face charges of money laundering and abuse of power and have been placed in pretrial detention for nearly four months.
The Institute for Citizen Rights provides free legal aid and education, while the Election Monitoring Alliance focuses on election oversight.
On Saturday, the court issued an arrest warrant for another NGO figure Subhan Hasanli, head of the Social Rights Center, which advocates for social rights and awareness. Hasanli is accused of legalizing assets obtained through criminal means. He denied the allegations, stating on Facebook that the funds in question were legally transferred and taxed.
“Social security payments, unemployment insurance—all paid,” Hasanli wrote. “How then is this money illegal? How was it obtained through criminal means?”
The latest arrests are part of a broader crackdown that began in November 2023 with the detention of independent journalists from Abzas Media. Since then, more than 30 journalists and activists have been arrested on smuggling-related charges.
Human rights groups estimate that approximately 300 people remain in detention or prison following politically motivated trials.
