Azerbaijan opposition leader facing 'insidious plans' in prison, supporters say

Ali Karimli

Supporters of detained Azerbaijani opposition leader Ali Karimli have accused prison authorities of intentionally subjecting him to psychological torture in an attempt to "break his will".

The Defence Committee for the Rights of the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party (APFP) Chairman announced on social media that Mr Karimli, 61, is being systematically deprived of sleep in his cell.

The committee said prison officials had placed Mr Karimli in a cell with an individual experiencing severe mental health issues, whose loud, repetitive chanting at night has made sleep impossible for those sharing the space.

"The regime may have other, more serious and insidious plans against Ali Karimli's life, and this situation is part of that plan," the committee said.

It added that the Azerbaijani government was directly responsible for any threat to Mr Karimli's health and life. "We do not want the name of the Azerbaijani state to be associated with acts of terror against political opponents," the statement read.

Mr Karimli and APFP assembly member Mammad Ibrahim have been held in pre-trial detention since 29 November 2025.

Both men face charges of attempting to forcibly change the country's constitutional order. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison.

The government has linked their arrests to a wider investigation into Ramiz Mehdiyev, the former head of the presidential administration. Mr Mehdiyev was placed under house arrest in late 2025 following allegations of planning a coup d'état.

The APFP has dismissed the charges against its members as entirely fabricated and politically motivated. Earlier this month, a Baku court extended Mr Karimli's pre-trial detention until 13 November 2026.

International human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have condemned the detentions, calling them part of an ongoing campaign by President Ilham Aliyev's administration to crush political opposition in the country.