News
a court in Azerbaijan jails the host of a YouTube show [Updated January, 2023]
july 16, 2022[Update] According to local media reports, Gafarov suffered a clinical death on December 22, 2022, while receiving treatment in a medical facility of the prison service. However, instead of keeping him at the medical facility, the prison management decided to transfer Gafarov back to prison. Abid Gafarov, was sentenced to one year in prison on charges […]
in Azerbaijan rape survivor continues to face harassment online by the perpetrator
july 16, 2022Asgar Agazade was arrested last year following an accusation by a rape survivor. His victim, is an activist, Sanay Yagmur. Agazade has denied the accusation from the start however, seven months into the ongoing investigation and the trial, he is now facing a possible seven-year prison term. In addition, new evidence based on Agazade’s own […]
one man threatens to behead LGBTQI+ community members in a TikTok video
july 6, 2022A man named Roman Mammadov, 39, in a video he shared on TikTok, threatened to behead men who behaved like women. The video that was circulated on social media, alarmed LGBTQ+ activists in Azerbaijan who demanded the Ministry of Interior take action. Eventually, Mammadov was detained. According to the officials, the investigation is ongoing. According […]
political activist and blogger detained
june 29, 2022On June 23, Elchin Ibrahimli, a member of an opposition party was detained according to local news reports. He was sentenced to 30 days in administrative detention the following day, said members of the party. According to reports, the activist allegedly resisted police and as a result was sentenced on charges of resisting the police […]
activist and lawyer Ilham Aslanoglu arrested
june 13, 2022On June 10, lawyer and activist Ilham Aslanoglu was sentenced to six months in prison on insult charges according to reporting by Turan News Agency. Aslanoglu is known for his public investigation of the Terter case – a “notorious case in which dozens of military officers accused of spying for Armenia were tortured.” Aslanoglu’s lawyer […]
Azerbaijan blocks RIA Novosti – Russian language state news website – citing violation of the national law [Updated June 13]
june 6, 2022The Ministry of Digital Development and Transport blocked access to the Russian state-owned RIA-Novosti news site on June 3, according to reports by Azerbaijani media. In a statement issued the following day, June 4, the Ministry said the decision to block the Russian news website was a result of the news site running a story […]
exiled blogger says his life is in danger [updated June 3, 2022]
may 31, 2022Tural Sadigli is an Azerbaijani blogger and political activist living in exile. He is the managing editor of a YouTube channel, Azad Soz – Free Word. According to Sadigli, his life is in danger as per Facebook posts, Sadigli shared on May 29 and 31 respectively. Attention. There is a four-man squad sent to kill […]
activist exposing fake accounts on social media arrested, facing up to 12 years behind bars [with updates]
may 28, 2022Razi Alishov was detained on May 28 in the city of Ganja. Two days later, the political activist and member of the opposition Popular Front party, was charged with Article 234.2 of the Criminal Code [Illegal purchase or storage with a view of selling, manufacturing, processing, transportation, transfer or selling of narcotics or psychotropic substances] […]
blogger charged with drug possession sentenced to four months [Updated June 28]
may 23, 2022[Update June 28] On June 25, the District Court rejected Ramazanov’s request to be moved under house arrest. The blogger’s lawyer Elchin Sadigov said they will appeal the decision. [Update June 13] According to reporting by Turan News Agency, Ramazanov was taken to the Republican Psychiatric Hospital for tests. Ramazanov’s lawyer said this was not […]
Who regulates content online in Azerbaijan? Legal analysis
may 17, 2022In this new legal analysis, we specifically look into content regulation on the internet carried out by the Prosecutor’s office and how the measures in place, silence free speech often relying on the use of a restrictive law on Information, Informatization, and Protection of Information. As the use of the Internet grew in Azerbaijan, so […]