The sentencing of Bahruz Samadov and the rise of post-war paranoia in Azerbaijan

July 5, 2025

Bahruz Samadov, a peaceful dissident and PhD student at Charles University, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Baku Grave Crimes Court on treason charges that he maintains are linked to his peaceful activism and criticism of the Azerbaijani government. Samadov, who was arrested in August 2024 after communicating with Armenian nationals on WhatsApp, attempted suicide following his sentencing and expressed deep trauma from being treated "like a terrorist" for his peaceful stance. His case appears to be part of a broader pattern of post-war repression in Azerbaijan, where several of his associates were also interrogated and temporarily banned from travel, and numerous journalists and activists face similar persecution.

Who is affected

Bahruz Samadov, a PhD student and dissident sentenced to 15 years in prison
Samad Shikhi, a young writer who was interrogated and temporarily banned from travel
Cavid Agha, an independent researcher questioned at the State Security Service and temporarily banned from travel
Journalists from Abzas Media, including Ulviyya Ali, who have been arrested or sentenced
Activist bloggers based abroad who face criminal investigations
Scholars, writers, and researchers in Azerbaijan facing government repression
War veterans whose protests have been suppressed

What action is being taken

The Azerbaijani government is sentencing dissidents like Samadov to lengthy prison terms
Authorities are conducting interrogations of individuals connected to political dissidents
The State Security Service is placing travel bans on associates of targeted individuals
The government is monitoring private communications, including WhatsApp conversations
Officials are implementing restrictive legal amendments to laws on media and political parties
Security forces are suppressing protests by war veterans
The state is conducting transnational investigations targeting critics living abroad

Why it matters

Samadov's case illustrates Azerbaijan's increasingly authoritarian approach to dissent following its victory in the Second Karabakh War
The government's actions contradict expectations that military victory would lead to national renewal and unity
The prosecution of peaceful activists represents a broadening definition of treason to include private communications with Armenians
The targeting of journalists, scholars, and writers indicates a systematic attempt to silence alternative perspectives
The surveillance and repression demonstrate the government's growing paranoia about opposition voices
These actions suggest that Azerbaijan's post-war identity is being shaped by deepening repression rather than democratic confidence

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices