To the Heads of State of Democratic Countries and High-ranking Representatives of International Organizations,”

APPEAL

by the Choose a Democratic Azerbaijan (CDA) organization to the international organizations on the illegal arrest of the Chairman of Azerbaijan Democracy and Welfare Party, Gubad Ibadoglu

On July 23, 2023, the Chairman of the Azerbaijan Democracy and Welfare Party, Gubad Ibadoglu, and her spouse were detained by the employees of the Main Department for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. On the same day, the apartment owned by Ibadoglu, where he did not live, and the central office of the Party were searched. On July 24, 2023, Baku’s Narimanov District Court sent Ibadoglu for three months and 26 days of pretrial detention on charges of production, acquisition, or sale of counterfeit money by an organized group (Article 204.1, 204.3.1 of the Criminal Code).

Ibadoglu’s wife, Irada Bayramova, who was released a day after the detention, informed the public that force was used against them during the detention and they were injured. Ibadoglu, who is detained in the Main Department for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was not allowed to receive the necessary medicines. Gubad Ibadoglu rejected the accusations brought against him, characterizing all of them as illegal actions directed by the political authorities, due to his political activity, and directly said that he was arrested with Ilham Aliyev’s order.

Gubad Ibadoglu, in addition to being the chairman of the Azerbaijan Democracy and Welfare Party, was also an active civil society representative and the chairman of the “Economic Research Center” Public Union. He was the chairman and a member of the Board of Directors of a number of civil society coalitions in Azerbaijan. In particular, he worked as a member of the Board of Directors of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which is applied in more than 50 countries around the world. In addition, he was the chairman of the Azerbaijan National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and a member of the European Steering Committee.

He constantly conducted economic analyses and openly criticized the corruption in the country. In the last few years, Ibadoglu has been engaged in teaching activities at universities in the United States and England.

The arrest of Ibadoglu by political order was sharply criticized by J. Zovko, rapporteur of the European Parliament on Azerbaijan. She expressed concern about Ibadoglu’s arrest by the authoritarian regime and his health. The General Rapporteur on Political Prisoners for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Sunna Ævarsdóttir, demanded the immediate release of Ibadoglu. The Human Rights Watch organization stated that the arrest of Ibadoglu was politically motivated and demanded his immediate release. All international democratic structures and human rights organizations think that Ibadoglu’s arrest was politically motivated and demand his immediate release.

The CDA organization assesses Gubad Ibadoglu’s arrest as another violation of democratic principles and a gross violation of human rights and freedom in Azerbaijan. At the same time, the arrest of a world-renowned public figure and scientist under the charge of “making fake money” is considered a disgrace by the political power of Azerbaijan. The organization also considers violence against the detainee and preventing the administration of medicines as not applying the usual humane principles and declares that physical and psychological torture has already begun.

“Many international media outlets and organizations have now covered the case and condemned it.”:

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/08/06/azerbaijan-arrest-gubad-ibadoghlu/,
• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/14/health-of-lse-academic-detained-in-azerbaijan-at-risk-say-family;
• https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0323_EN.html,
• https://pace.coe.int/en/news/9180/pace-rapporteur-calls-for-immediate-release-of-gubad-ibadoghlu;
• https://www.amnesty.de/mitmachen/urgent-action/aserbaidschan-aktivist-muss-freigelassen-werden-2023-08-08,
• https://tu-dresden.de/tu-dresden/newsportal/news/tud-fordert-achtung-der-menschenrechte-dresden-fellow-dr-gubad-ibadoghlu-in-aserbaidschan-inhaftiert?set_language=en;
• https://www.omct.org/en/resources/statements/azerbaijan-urgent-call-for-the-release-of-gubad-ibadoghlu-renowned-academic-and-politician;
• https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/07/25/azerbaijan-opposition-leader-arrested;

The CDA states that Gubad Ibadoglu was arrested for political motivation and on the instructions of the first person in the country. Taking into account all that has been said, we demand that international organizations take the following steps towards the release of Gubad Ibadoglu:

• To put pressure on the Azerbaijani authorities for the immediate release of Gubad Ibadoglu;
• To make the police officers who used violence against Gubad Ibadoglu and his wife be punished;
• To impose sanctions on the judge who decided to arrest Gubad Ibadoglu
• To make Gubad Ibadoglu’s meeting with the lawyer, family members and medical procedures be ensured;
• To conduct negotiations with the Azerbaijani authorities for the release of Gubad Ibadoglu and other political prisoners.

Best regards,

“Choose the Democratic Azerbaijan” (DAS) public and political organization