UN experts express concern over continued detention of Azerbaijan rights defender News
John Samuel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
UN experts express concern over continued detention of Azerbaijan rights defender

UN experts expressed concern Monday over the year-long detention of Azerbaijani human rights defender Anar Mammadli.

The UN group of experts urged Azerbaijani authorities to ensure Mammadli’s fundamental rights are respected, including the right to a fair trial and appropriate access to medical care. The experts said, “There are serious concerns that Mammadli’s detention and prosecution may be in retaliation for his human rights work and his engagement with UN mechanisms.” Several UN special rapporteurs also claimed that Azerbaijan must “end all forms of intimidation against human rights defenders.”

Mammadli was the chair of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (EMDS). He was arrested on April 29, 2024, on allegedly dubious charges following investigations into possible smuggling and money laundering. If the court convicts Mammadli, he could face seven to 12 years in prison. Mammadli was detained following a report published by EMDS on irregularities during the February 2024 presidential elections.

Human rights experts, including the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, issued a letter in February 2025 requesting information on Mammadli’s prosecution and charges. UN experts also expressed serious concerns over Mammadli’s deteriorating health. The Azerbaijani government responded to the letter, denying all allegations and claiming Mammadli was not detained for reasons other than the criminal acts he had committed.

This is not the first time the Azerbaijani authorities have targeted Mammadli. In 2013, he was detained and sentenced on similar charges. A case was lodged, and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) decided in 2018 that Mammadli’s arrest constituted a clear violation of the right to liberty under Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Recently, the Council of Europe also urged the release of Mammadli. UN experts highlighted the lack of progress of the Azerbaijani authorities in implementing this ECtHR judgement. For this reason, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty said:

I call on the Azerbaijani authorities to take the necessary steps to ensure that all laws and practices in connection with the freedoms of association, assembly and expression and the situation of human rights defenders, journalists and civil society activists in the country comply with relevant Council of Europe human rights standards, including by fully implementing the relevant judgments of the Court.

Human rights organizations have consistently noted human rights issues in Azerbaijan, including the arbitrary detention of other famous political activists. Currently, evidence shows at least 331 political prisoners recorded in December 2024, as the European Parliament also condemned the repression of civil society by the Azerbaijani government.

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