Scholars at Risk (SAR) is deeply concerned about the imprisonment of two scholars in Azerbaijan, detained in apparent retaliation for their academic work:
- Igbal Abilov, a researcher and lecturer at Belarusian State University, was sentenced on May 20, 2025, to 18 years in prison on charges of “high treason.” His work focused on ethnic minorities in the region.
- Bahruz Samadov, a PhD student at Charles University in Prague and researcher, remains in detention, also facing “high treason” charges related to his research on military involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Both cases illustrate the rapidly shrinking space for academic and cultural expression in Azerbaijan, as reflected in the 2025 Academic Freedom Index.
SAR has issued letters of appeal in both cases and invites all supporters of academic freedom to sign on:
These efforts are part of SAR’s broader Scholars in Prison Project, which defends wrongfully detained scholars and students worldwide. Learn more about the initiative and how to get involved:
👉 Scholars in Prison Project »