The United States has demanded that the government of Azerbaijan immediately release a group of detained human rights activists, journalists, and civil society figures being held in what is seen as an "escalating crackdown" on civil society and press freedom in Azerbaijan.
The U.S. State Department on December 11 said it was "deeply concerned" over the detentions of individuals, including Rufat Safarov, Sevinc Vaqifqizi, Azer Qasimli, Farid Mehralizada, Baxtiyar Haciyev, Qubad Ibadoglu, and several associates of the independent outlet Meydan TV.
"We urge the Government of Azerbaijan to release those unjustly detained for their advocacy on behalf of human rights, cease its crackdown on civil society, respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all, and fulfill the commitments it made when it joined the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in the statement.
SEE ALSO: 5 More Azerbaijani Journalists Detained Amid Crackdown On Media FreedomThe timing of the detentions has already drawn significant criticism from governments and rights groups abroad.
Two of the detainees -- Safarov and Vaqifqizi -- were to receive awards in Washington, D.C., this week for their work advancing human rights and fighting corruption.
Safarov, a co-founder of Defense Line, one of Azerbaijan's leading civil society organizations, has actively promoted documenting politically motivated arrests, corruption in government structures, and digging up evidence of torture.
He was arrested on December 3, just days before he was set to travel to the United States to receive the Secretary of State's Human Rights Defender Award.
His detention is widely seen as a deliberate move by the Azerbaijani authorities to silence one of the few remaining full-time human rights defenders in the country.
Vaqifqizi, editor in chief of Abzas Media, has played a critical role in uncovering corruption and government mismanagement in Azerbaijan.
Her team has reported on illegal tender awards to companies linked to government officials and exposed the large-scale embezzlement of public funds. Vaqifqizi was detained in November 2023.
On December 9, she was awarded the Secretary of State's 2024 Anti-Corruption Champions Award in absentia.
Detentions such as those of Safarov, Vaqifqizi, and many others are part of a broader trend of repression in Azerbaijan. The government has increased pressure on activists, journalists, and independent organizations alike, leading to a significant decline in civil liberties.
Human rights organizations estimate that at least 300 political prisoners are currently being held in Azerbaijani jails, underscoring ongoing criticism of President Ilham Aliyev's administration.
Since taking power following the death of his predecessor and father, Heydar Aliyev, in 2003, Ilham Aliyev has faced accusations of suppressing dissent by detaining journalists, opposition figures, and civil society activists.