04/12/2025 Legal Affairs and Human Rights
The General Rapporteur for political prisoners of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Azadeh Rojhan (Sweden, SOC), made the following statement regarding the arrest of Ali Karimli, the Chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, on charges of actions aimed at seizing power by force or violently changing the constitutional order:
“I am deeply concerned by the recent decision to remand Ali Karimli in pre-trial detention on charges of attempting to seize power. This is the latest development in a worrying trend of shrinking space for political dissent in Azerbaijan. The European Court of Human Rights has previously ruled in his favour on two occasions, notably finding a violation of his right to stand for election and his right to freedom of movement. I urge the Azerbaijani authorities to swiftly review the charges against Ali Karimli and to ensure that the current criminal proceedings against him are conducted in full compliance with Azerbaijan’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights."