Statement by ASİMKOM to the European Parliament

Urgent Call for Response to the Suppression of Free Speech in Azerbaijan and the Persecution of Exiled Journalists

Honourable Members of the European Parliament,

We, the Committee for the Protection of Free Speech and Information (ASİMKOM), express our deep concern regarding the systematic violations of human rights and suppression of free speech in Azerbaijan. Independent media within the country has been effectively silenced, with dozens of journalists and media workers imprisoned on fabricated charges.

In recent months, the Azerbaijani authorities have extended these repressive practices beyond national borders, initiating a campaign of intimidation and retaliation against exiled journalists and bloggers operating abroad. As part of this campaign, Azerbaijani courts have issued prison sentences in absentia for two journalists:

• Qabil Mammadov – a blogger and journalist currently living in exile in Germany, sentenced to 16 years in prison by an Azerbaijani court;

• Imameddin Ehlimanov – an exiled journalist residing in France, sentenced in absentia to 7 years in prison.

These cases clearly demonstrate the Azerbaijani government’s willingness to resort to transnational repression in its efforts to silence critical voices. Such actions represent a blatant disregard for the core values of the European Union, including the principles of human rights, freedom of thought, and freedom of expression.

We, ASİMKOM, respectfully call on the European Parliament and relevant national governments to:

1. Strongly condemn the Azerbaijani government’s policy of extrajudicial persecution targeting foreign-based journalists and bloggers;
2. Urge European states not to recognize the legal legitimacy of prison sentences issued in absentia by Azerbaijani courts against exiled journalists;
3. Initiate immediate political and legal mechanisms to provide protection for journalists facing persecution;
4. Insist that respect for human rights be upheld as a non-negotiable condition in any strategic partnership agreements with the Azerbaijani government;
5. Call on the governments of Germany and France — the countries where Qabil Mammadov and Imameddin Ehlimanov reside, respectively — to unequivocally reject any discussions or demands regarding the extradition of these individuals to Azerbaijan. Both men have been granted political asylum and are protected under international law.

Freedom of speech is not only a personal right but also a cornerstone of any democratic society. The repressive regime in Azerbaijan seeks to dismantle this cornerstone. The European Parliament and the leading governments of Europe must not remain silent in the face of this escalating campaign.