Azerbaijani Opposition Leader Denied Permission to Attend Father's Funeral

Ali Karimli

Ali Karimli, the imprisoned chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP), was denied permission to attend the funeral of his father, Amirhuseyn Karimov, who passed away on May 9. While the elder Karimov was buried in the village of Azadkend in the Saatli region, his son remained in custody. Notably, in the past, some imprisoned opposition politicians and journalists were temporarily released to attend the funerals of their relatives.

Mr. Karimli has been in detention since November 29, 2025, alongside APFP presidium member Mammad Ibrahim. Both face serious charges under Article 278.1 of the Criminal Code, relating to alleged attempts to forcibly overthrow the constitutional order—a charge that carries the possibility of life imprisonment. The defense team and the APFP have dismissed these allegations as politically motivated fabrications.

The arrests of the APFP leadership are linked to a high-profile investigation involving Ramiz Mehdiyev, the former long-time head of the Presidential Administration. Mehdiyev, once considered a titan of the Azerbaijani political establishment, is currently under house arrest on charges of high treason and conspiracy to commit a coup.

Authorities claim to have discovered a letter at Mr. Karimli's home allegedly linking him to a Kremlin-backed plot organized by Mehdiyev. However, the APFP asserts that the document was planted by security forces during a search of Karimli's Baku residence. Party representatives emphasized that Karimli has historically been one of Mehdiyev’s harshest critics, making any alliance between them "absurd."

The State Security Service (SSS) has expanded the scope of the investigation, summoning several prominent opposition figures for questioning. Gultekin Hajibeyli, a member of the National Council's Coordination Center, was recently deported from Turkey and subsequently questioned as a witness in the Mehdiyev case. Similarly, Jamil Hasanli, chairman of the National Council, was summoned to the SSS to testify regarding his relationship with the former head of administration.

While the government maintains that all legal procedures strictly adhere to the rule of law and are unrelated to political activities, the APFP Defense Committee—co-chaired by Jamil Hasanli and human rights activist Leyla Yunus—has called on the international community to intervene. The committee characterizes the current situation as an "escalation of political repression" aimed at dismantling the democratic opposition.

On February 9, the Sabail District Court extended the pre-trial detention of Ali Karimli and Mammad Ibrahim for another four months. Mr. Karimli has reportedly refused to testify to investigators, insisting on his innocence and claiming his imprisonment is a response to his international standing and critical interviews with global media.

The death of Amirhuseyn Karimov has added a humanitarian dimension to this legal standoff. Despite urgent appeals from lawyers during the May 9 holiday, the State Security Service provided no response, preventing the opposition leader from saying a final goodbye to his father.