Another outrageous arrest in Azerbaijan prior to COP29 - Young Political Analyst Bahruz Samadov Detained

The Climate Observers Partnership strongly condemns the escalating human rights violations and the severe restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms in Azerbaijan. In a troubling development, on the evening of August 21 in Baku, young political analyst Bahruz Samadov was detained. According to his grandmother, Zibeida Osmanova, Samadov had left home around 4:00 PM to meet a friend.

“About half an hour later, 5-6 individuals, identifying themselves as officers of the State Security Service, arrived at our home. They claimed that there had been a complaint against Bahruz, alleging that he was involved in drug-related activities. They conducted a search of the house and confiscated Bahruz’s computer, passport, two diplomas from foreign universities, and a book in English containing an article by Bahruz. However, they found no drugs,” Osmanova reported.

Later, a lawyer, identifying herself as Vafa, called Osmanova and informed her that Samadov was suspected of “treason” and that his correspondence with Armenians had allegedly been discovered, suggesting that he was writing articles at their request.

Osmanova strongly refuted these accusations. “Bahruz was engaged in academic research. He is currently a doctoral student at Charles University in the Czech Republic. He returned a month ago for vacation,” Osmanova explained. She also noted that Samadov was scheduled to fly back today.

Samadov is known for his critical articles and commentary on the Azerbaijani government, which have been published in Western media and analytical outlets. He is a contributor to OC Media and Baku Research Institute and is recognized for his pacifist views.

For more information, please see the full report on the incident at Turan News Agency.