From a prison cell in Baku, opposition leader Ali Karimli has written for @ProSyn.
Following Nikol Pashinyan’s electoral victory and the prospect of a new era in the South Caucasus, he argues that deeper partnerships between Azerbaijan and the West must not come at the expense of democratic principles.
In the article, he argues that:
• Lasting regional stability requires democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
• Azerbaijan’s growing importance to Europe and the US gives Western partners leverage to uphold these principles, not overlook their erosion.
• Azerbaijanis want closer ties with the West, but also the basic rights and freedoms guaranteed under international law.
• Free and fair elections would allow Azerbaijanis to determine their own democratic future.
Read the full article:
https://t.co/is4cLLxGR4
The authorities continue to keep Ali Karimli in a cell with an inmate suffering from a serious mental illness.
They are deliberately using this to subject him to psychological torture. Prolonged sleep deprivation has left him significantly weakened.
During his latest call home, they also violated his right to a 15-minute phone call. After he tried to pass a message to his family, they interrupted the call three times and allowed him to speak for only four minutes.
Ali Karimli responded:
“They cannot decide what I am allowed to say. I am here because of what I have said. If I had remained silent, I would never have ended up here.”
His lawyers petitioned the court to restore his rights, but the court unlawfully refused even to register the case.
Ali Karimli is being treated not as a prisoner protected by law, but as a hostage.
Ali Karimli, Chairman of the Popular Front Party of #Azerbaijan, has limited access to information – the television in his cell is turned off, there is no radio, he is not receiving newspapers, and he has been deprived of the right to make phone calls.
https://t.co/jpP8ZuWXqb
We express our grave concern regarding the arbitrary detention and treatment of Mr. #AliKarimli (@AliKarimli), a prominent pro-democracy opposition politician and the leader of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP) — one of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s main opposition parties — who was detained by the Azerbaijani authorities in November 2025.
As of this statement, no trial has taken place and no conviction has been issued.
We urge the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure full compliance with due process, the presumption of innocence, and other fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and international human rights law.
https://t.co/SyOjy92Sel
At today’s PACE debate, Frank Schwabe said he had looked up the definition of dictatorship that morning: no free elections, no separation of powers, censorship, repression, surveillance, bans on opposition and disregard for human rights.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, “this is the definition of the reality in Azerbaijan.”
He named Anar Mammadli, Afgan Sadigov, imprisoned journalists from Abzas Media, Toplum TV and Meydan TV — and hundreds of other political prisoners.
He also warned that after Ali Karimli gave an interview to France 24, “punishment from the government follows immediately. He’s tortured now, and he’s under horrible circumstances.”
Europe must act: demand an end to torture, protection for all prisoners of conscience, and the immediate release of Ali Karimli and all political prisoners in Azerbaijan.
Video source: Meydan TV:
The world-renowned French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) has published an article about the leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, Ali Karimli, being subjected to pressure in a detention facility of the State Security Service. The article states:
Jailed Azerbaijani opposition leader Ali Kerimli has been held for nearly two weeks in worsening conditions that have deprived him of sleep and caused psychological strain, his lawyers and family said Monday.
Karimli, 61, the long-time head of the opposition Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan and one of President Ilham Aliyev's most outspoken critics, has been held in pre-trial detention since December on charges of plotting a coup.
"These accusations are entirely fabricated and have been brought for political reasons," he said in a written statement to AFP transmitted through his lawyers.
Karimli said he faces up to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment and does not expect a fair trial in Azerbaijan's judicial system.
His statement described restrictive detention conditions, risks to his family and supporters, and urged Europe to stand by Azerbaijan's pro-democracy movement.
On Monday, his lawyers and family released a separate statement saying Karimli's detention conditions had sharply worsened over the past 12 days after he was transferred to a cell with inmates accused of "extremist and terrorism-related offences".
One inmate created "a constant atmosphere of psychological distress," depriving Karimli of sleep for 12 days and causing serious psychological strain, the statement said.
Karimli has been denied family visits, fresh air and daily exercise, it said, calling for international monitoring and scrutiny to protect his rights, health and physical safety.
Azerbaijan, a tightly controlled oil-rich former Soviet republic, has long faced criticism from rights groups for suppressing political dissent and muzzling independent media.
Aliyev has ruled the country since 2003, after succeeding his father Haydar, a former Communist leader and KGB general.
Statement on escalating pressure against Ali Karimli
Ali Karimli is being punished not only by imprisonment, but by isolation.
The authorities have cut off his telephone contact with family members and restricted lawful communication through his lawyers. He has also been moved to harsher detention conditions, with measures reportedly causing severe sleep deprivation.
This is retaliation for peaceful political speech.
No prisoner should be denied family contact, legal communication, health or dignity because he continues to express political views.
We call on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately restore Ali Karimli’s communication rights, end all retaliatory measures, and ensure detention conditions consistent with Azerbaijani law and international human rights obligations.