Bahruz Samadov, a political researcher, government critic, and supporter of peace with Armenia, was allegedly arrested in Azerbaijan on charges of treason.
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According to Turan, Bahruz Samadov was arrested on the evening of August 21. His grandmother told the publication that her grandson left the house at around 16:00 to meet a friend.
"Half an hour later, five or six people came to our house who introduced themselves as State Security Service officers and said that there was a complaint against Bahruz that he was involved in drugs. They searched the house and took Bahruz's computer, his passport, two diplomas of graduation from foreign universities, a book in English in which there is an article by Bahruz. They did not find any drugs," said the detainee's grandmother.
Later, a lawyer informed her that Samadov is suspected of "treason," allegedly because his correspondence with Armenians was discovered and he was writing articles on their behalf. The grandmother denies these accusations.
"Bahruz was engaged in scientific research. He is a PhD student at Charles University in the Czech Republic. He came on vacation a month ago," said his grandmother. She added that Bahruz Samadov was supposed to fly back on August 22.
The authorities have not yet commented on the arrest of Bahruz Samadov.
As Turan reports, Samadov is known for his pacifist views. His articles and comments critical of the government of Azerbaijan have been published in Western media and analytical publications, and he is a contributor to OC Media and the Baku Research Institute (BRI).
In recent months, several dozen journalists, human rights defenders, and political activists have been arrested in Azerbaijan. Afgan Sadygov, another critic of the government and the chief editor of Azel.Tv, was arrested in Tbilisi. According to a decision by the Georgian court, he has been in extradition custody since August 4. According to the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the journalist was wanted by Azerbaijan in a case involving threats and extortion.
As human rights defenders stated, a case against him was initiated in Baku in May 2024. Sadigov's family members believe the arrest is related to his activities and criticism of the government. Afgan Sadigov had been living in Georgia since December 24, 2023. About two weeks before his arrest, he tried to travel to Turkey with his wife and two minor daughters, but Georgian border guards at Tbilisi International Airport did not allow him to cross the border. They did not arrest him then and explained that he could only return to Azerbaijan.
He says he came to Georgia for treatment, but due to threats against him and the start of a new wave of arrests of Azerbaijani journalists, he never returned to his homeland. The Sadigov family did not feel safe in Georgia, which is why they wanted to leave the country.
