The Baku Grave Crimes Court has sentenced Bahruz Samadov, an Azerbaijani researcher and peace activist, to 15 years in prison on charges of treason. The Azerbaijani court found him guilty of espionage in favor of Armenia.
Samadov has denied the charges against him.
The Azerbaijani activist was arrested in August of last year. Prior to his imprisonment, Samadov had consistently advocated for establishing peace with Armenia. The 29-year-old political philosophy graduate and outspoken critic of Azerbaijan’s government gained recognition for his academic and journalistic work highlighting authoritarianism, nationalism, and civil liberties in Azerbaijan. Samadov also became known for advocating peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and for speaking out against militarization and hate speech in both societies.
He has written extensively about Armenian–Azerbaijani relations, including critical articles on the Khojaly massacre, the Second Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) War, and Azerbaijan’s post-war militarism. In his writings, Samadov condemned the display of Armenian military helmets at Baku’s “Trophy Park” as dehumanizing and criticized state-sponsored nationalism. His work has appeared in outlets such as OC Media, Eurasianet, openDemocracy, IWPR, and the Baku Research Institute. He also authored pieces arguing that Azerbaijan needs an alternative to nationalist militarism and likened war propaganda in the country to fascist narratives. These views were often cited by the prosecution and state-aligned media as “anti-state” and “pro-Armenian,” although no concrete evidence of espionage beyond his journalism and online activities has been publicly disclosed.
The verdict was delivered on June 20, following the prosecution’s demand for a 16-year sentence. Reports indicate that Samadov attempted suicide and later launched a hunger strike shortly after hearing the prosecution’s request.
Zibeyda Sadigova, a prominent human rights lawyer representing Samadov, stated that her client is now being held in the prison hospital and is surviving solely on water. “As Samadov was very weak from the hunger strike, he could not write his last words on paper. He said that he is a peace activist and did not commit any crime,” Sadigova told reporters.
The sentencing hearing was held behind closed doors. Samadov’s grandmother, friends, and fellow activists were barred from entering the courtroom until the verdict had been announced. Previous hearings were also conducted in secrecy, raising concerns among international observers about the lack of transparency in the judicial process.
The case has drawn attention from international human rights organizations, many of which view the charges against Samadov as politically motivated.
The trial of Samadov is taking place against the backdrop of another wave of repression against dissidents in Azerbaijan. In May, Talish researcher Igbal Abilov was sentenced to 18 years in prison on similar charges. Last week, the leadership and journalists of “Abzas Media” were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 7.5 to 9 years.
