Torture, political prisoners and the Azerbaijani dictatorship: The case of Gubad Ibadoglu

On 23 July 2023 the well known scholar and opposition leader Gubad Ibadoghlu was arrested. He has been in prison for five months on absurd charges, with limited access to food, facing humiliating treatment and denied vitally needed medication. Today his health condition is so bad, that is life it as risk. This is not Russia, China or Iran. This is reality in a member state of the Council of Europe, one of the oldest human rights institution on the continent: Azerbaijan. Within just a year the number of political prisoners more than doubled: over 200. A new media law was passed outlawing independent reporting. A new law has banned political parties. And independent journalists and civil society activists are arrested almost daily.

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Gubad’s case reflects the horrid reality of Azerbaijan’s repressive regime. Unlike many others, his case has gained international attention. The Council of Europe rapporteur for political prisoners, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, articles in the Guardian, Financial Times and Washington Post as well as a resolution in the European Parliament have demanded his immediate release and warned about the deteriorating situation of the human rights in Azerbaijan. So far, in vain. On the contrary, last week the Secretary General of the Council of Europe praised the Azerbaijani President for his cooperation. And last year the Council of Europe gave Azerbaijan a justice award for their so-called rule of law reforms. Is this a bad dream? Or a pact with the devil?

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What can we learn from Gubad’s case about the developments in Azerbaijan today? Why does a member state of the Council of Europe get away with this? What is needed to safeguard human rights? We were honoured to discuss these recent developments with Gubad’s son, Ibad Bayramov. He is currently studying in Sweden and had been meeting with media and policy makers across Europe to advocate for the release of his father.