TAKE ACTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

IMPRISONED ACADEMIC HELD IN INADEQUATE CONDITIONS

Azerbaijan UA 86.24

Bahruz Samadov, a PhD candidate at Charles University in Prague, is a prominent Azerbaijani human rights defender and peace advocate targeted for his criticism of war and repression in Azerbaijan. Arrested in Baku in August 2024 and charged with “high treason” for his peaceful writings and activism, he was transferred in February 2026 to Umbaki Penitentiary Prison, a high‑security facility known for harsh conditions, where he has been on hunger strike after losing an appeal against the transfer, which placed him 70 km from his only living relative, his 83‑year‑old grandmother, Zibeyda Osmanova.

Call on President Ilham Aliyev to immediately and unconditionally release Bahruz Samadov - send your message using our email writing tool.

YOUR INFORMATION

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Address

Apt., Ste., Bldg.

City

State

Postal Code

Country

Phone Number (Optional)

By providing your mobile number, you are signing up to receive calls and recurring fundraising and advocacy messages from Amnesty International USA at 213-33. Reply STOP to quit. Msg and data rates may apply. Privacy & Terms.

Postal Address Sharing

Do not exchange my postal address with other organizations.

Customize your message

President

Ilham

Aliyev

Dear President Aliyev,

I am deeply concerned about the detention of researcher and peace activist, Bahruz Samadov, and the conditions under which he is being held at Umbaki Penitentiary Prison.

On June 23, 2025, Samadov was sentenced to 15 years in prison on trumped-up charges of “high treason.” According to his friends and family, his mental and physical health has deteriorated over the last year while in custody. He has twice attempted to commit suicide in prison.

In February 2026, Bahruz Samadov was transferred to Umbaki Penitentiary Prison, a high security facility known for its harsh conditions. Samadov has been on hunger strike having lost an appeal against the transfer, which places him 70 kilometers from his only living relative, his 83-year-old grandmother, Zibeyda Osmanova. He is permitted to make two phone calls every week. At Umbaki prison, Samadov is not permitted to access the prison yard at all. He is only allowed access to a one-meter balcony for no more than two hours a day. Access to television and radio have been taken away.

On February 27, a medical team from the Ministry of Justice visited Samadov, following his lawyer’s request, and prescribed several medications, he did not receive them for more than a month. The last time a doctor visited him was at the end of February 2026. However, no representative from the Public Defender has visited Samadov after the transfer despite Samadov`s outcry for access to medicine.

I call on you to immediately and unconditionally release Bahruz Samadov. Pending his release, ensure that he has access to adequate health care, is held in prison conditions that meet international standards, and that independent observers and the Public Defender are allowed to visit Bahruz Samadov in detention. I also call on you to end the broader reprisals against peaceful critics, journalists, and activists.

Yours sincerely,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}