Human rights in Azerbaijan

Human rights in Azerbaijan

International organizations have said that Azerbaijan does not always follow the rules for human rights that countries agreed to in international law.

In 2013, Human Rights Watch reported that Azerbaijan put people in jail and treated them badly just for speaking up or defending others’ rights. By 2019, they said the situation was very bad, with strict government control limiting people’s freedom to speak, meet, and join groups. During a big fight in 2020 over the area called Nagorno-Karabagh, the United Nations noted that some very serious actions happened against people from a certain background.

These reports show that keeping everyone safe and treating people fairly is still a big challenge in Azerbaijan.

Constitutional protections

The Constitution of Azerbaijan has 48 articles about important rights. These include human rights, property rights, equality rights, and freedom of speech.

In 2001, Azerbaijan made a law to help protect people’s rights. This law created a special job called the Commissioner for Human Rights, or the Ombudsman, to support fairness for everyone.

Ethnic cleansing

The country has been accused of making people leave their homes. In 2023, this happened by blocking a main road and going into an area, which caused many people from one group to leave.

Rights of minorities

During the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, some media spoke badly about Armenians. Groups that worked for peace sometimes had problems.

The Lezgin people sometimes feel pressured to act like others to avoid trouble at work or school.

The Talysh people have had trouble keeping their culture and getting good education because their area has not received much support. After trying to create their own region called the Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic, some Talysh leaders faced tough treatment.

Freedom of religion

Main article: Freedom of religion in Azerbaijan

In Azerbaijan, people do not have much freedom to practice their religion. The government tries to control all religious activities. Most people in Azerbaijan are Muslim, but the government watches and limits religious groups it does not approve of. Religious leaders cannot get involved in politics. The government sometimes closes down places of worship or arrests leaders it does not like. People can change their religion, but they cannot try to convince others to join a new religion.

Effect of international treaties

Further information: Azerbaijan in the Council of Europe

Azerbaijan joined important international agreements to protect people's rights in 1998. In 2001, it became a full member of the Council of Europe and agreed to follow rules that protect basic freedoms in 2002. People can ask a special court to help if they believe their rights were broken.

However, groups like Human Rights Watch have said that Azerbaijan still has problems. They have spoken out about worries such as people being arrested without good reasons and held for long times without trial.

Electoral rights

Azerbaijan was the first country in the East to give women the right to vote. On 21 July 1919, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic passed a law allowing all citizens aged 20 and older to vote, before countries like the UK (1928), Spain, and Portugal (1931).

All citizens of Azerbaijan have the right to choose their leaders, vote in elections, and take part in referendums. The Parliament of Azerbaijan created rules for elections on 27 May 2003. However, some people think that recent elections were not always fair. Reports say that the news sometimes favors the government.

Freedom of assembly and expression of political beliefs

Before May 2005, people in Azerbaijan did not have the right to gather freely. A rule was changed after many people spoke up, but it didn’t last long. Before elections later that year, the government did not allow opposition groups to hold protests in busy areas. Instead, special places far away were chosen for gatherings. Anyone who joined unsanctioned protests was arrested or hurt. Police sometimes held people to try to stop them from working for change.

Reports from groups like Human Rights Watch showed that rights to speak, gather, and join groups were getting worse in Azerbaijan. In 2020, after a big support event for the military, the president spoke against the main opposition party, the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan. Soon after, many party members and journalists were arrested. International groups, including the U.S. State Department and Amnesty International, asked Azerbaijan to stop treating these people unfairly. By 2025, hundreds of people were in prison for their political beliefs.

Right to liberty and security

Some people in Azerbaijan have had trouble with their freedom. Many people around the world have asked the country to release more people who were jailed for their beliefs. After joining a group of countries called the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan let some people out of prison, but others are still held without clear reasons.

In 2011, two men were arrested for helping organize protests. They were put in prison on different charges, and many groups spoke out saying they should be released. One of them was let go after almost a year. Later, more people were arrested for speaking out. Over time, many of these people were released, which was seen as a positive step.

Freedom of the media

Main articles: Media of Azerbaijan and Media freedom in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is not considered free by Freedom House. The government limits what people can read or watch. Opposition and independent news outlets and journalists often struggle to share their work. They may face big fines or go to jail on false charges.

Most people in Azerbaijan watch TV, which is controlled by the government. Because of this, many people do not get fair and true news. Some journalists have been put in jail by the government. The Committee to Protect Journalists says these charges are used for political reasons. International groups have said the government uses unfair methods to silence people who speak out against it. In recent years, several journalists from independent news organizations have been put on trial or jailed.

Corruption

Main article: Corruption in Azerbaijan

Corruption is a problem in Azerbaijani politics. Many people worry about the ruling family's wealth, especially because they have bought expensive properties in places like Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.

To fight corruption, the government made a new system in 2012 called the Azerbaijan service assessment network, or ASAN. This system helps people get government services more easily by offering many services in one place. It was the first system in the world to provide services from many government offices instead of just one.

Azerbaijan also joined a plan in 2003 called the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan. This plan includes several countries and helps them review their laws and systems to fight corruption better. Azerbaijan has been part of these reviews regularly.

Forced evictions

Main article: Forced evictions in Azerbaijan

According to Human Rights Watch, starting in 2008, many people in Baku were forced to leave their homes. This was to make space for new parks, business areas, and fancy homes. The city government planned this, but often didn’t give people enough notice or fair payment for their houses. People felt it was hard to get help from courts if they disagreed. The situation got worse in 2011 after Azerbaijan won the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest and prepared to host the 2012 one. Many families had to leave for the Crystal Hall to be built.

LGBT rights

Main article: LGBT rights in Azerbaijan

LGBT people in Azerbaijan have some challenges. While laws let adults have relationships with the same gender, there are no special rules to protect them from unfair treatment. Many people in Azerbaijan do not accept LGBT individuals, which makes it hard for them to live openly. A group called ILGA-Europe has noted that Azerbaijan has offered little protection for LGBT rights in Europe for many years.

Labour rights

The section provided does not contain any content about labour rights. Therefore, there is nothing to summarize for this section.

International reports

In May 2011, the European Parliament talked about problems with rights and freedoms in Azerbaijan. They mentioned people who spoke out against the government. They also noted some good things, like freeing two bloggers.

Later, in August 2022, a United Nations group talked about serious issues during a conflict in 2020. They were worried about how some people were treated during that time.

Situation in Nakhchivan

Human rights in Nakhchivan, which is part of Azerbaijan, have often been seen as weak. In 2007, a news group called Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty described it as "Azerbaijan's North Korea". For many years, one leader, Vasif Talibov, controlled the area until he stepped down in 2022. People have been concerned about unfair treatment by police, lack of freedom, and corruption.

Some think that strict rules in Nakhchivan have later been used in other parts of Azerbaijan.

Historical situation

This chart shows how Azerbaijan has been rated each year since 1991 in the Freedom in the World reports by Freedom House. The ratings go from 1, meaning "free," to 7, meaning "not free."¹