Justice demands that Kenan Basqal, Novruz Tagiyev, Tofig Yagublu, and all political prisoners be released, and that those who deliberately fabricate charges to jail innocent people be held accountable before the law.

As in the cases of Tofig Yagublu, Rufat Safarov, Elxan Aliyev, and others, Kenan and Novruz have been imprisoned under a pre-written script, without offering any pretext for such charges. What has been done to them is itself a crime.

Their only so-called “crime” has been their determination to protect me from the regime’s provocations, even at the cost of their own freedom.
The accusations against them are entirely fabricated—the claim that Kenan Basqal stabbed someone, or that Novruz Tagiyev engaged in fraud, is pure invention.

In reality, Mr. Gasimli is no criminal. On the contrary, he is the victim: deprived of both his rightful money and his liberty.
The regime tramples on law, justice, and the Constitution in order to cling to power. But it cannot last forever.

With no evidence or proof of threats, yesterday’s debtor was instantly recast as a “victim” in the eyes of investigators.
Why? Because the authorities only needed the flimsiest pretext to jail Mr. Gasimli — not for any crime, but for telling the truth and criticizing the regime.

Court records show that in 2024, the Mingachevir court ruled that a former ReAl party member owed Mr. Gasimli money and was obliged to repay it. Instead of honoring the debt, this individual went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and alleged that the Mr. Gasimli had extorted money from him.

Ulvi Hasanli, through his personal example, is one of the courageous and steadfast figures who calls upon Azerbaijanis to fight for a democratic Azerbaijan. Without a doubt, he deserves the highest honors. Above all, he deserves stronger support from his own people — from us.

Precisely because of this principled resistance, he has faced further pressure from the Penitentiary Service: his detention conditions have been worsened, he has been subjected to physical violence, and obstacles have been created preventing him from seeing his 3-year-old child.

Mr. Hasanli has continued his struggle for Azerbaijan’s democratization even after being falsely imprisoned. While detained at the Baku Investigative Detention Center, he prepared two reports exposing torture and bribery.

Ulvi Hasanli is fully deserving of this prestigious award. Since his early youth, Mr. Hasanli has fought consistently and with unwavering principles for democracy in Azerbaijan. After founding the Abzas Media project, he courageously exposed corruption within the Azerbaijani government.

At present, Mr. Hasanli has been confirmed as one of the three finalists for this award. The final decision will be announced on September 29 during the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

A state’s foreign policy cannot be reduced to such inconsistency and improvisation. What we are witnessing is a collapse of governance. It shows that the Azerbaijani authorities are incapable of pursuing a principled, consistent policy—or of protecting their own citizens.

And what of the downing of our aircraft in Russian airspace—an act for which you claimed you would never allow impunity? Has the Russian government now held those perpetrators accountable?

But the people deserve answers: why the rupture, and why the reconciliation?
Weren’t you boycotting cooperation with Russia? Weren’t you declaring that the torture and killing of our compatriots in Yekaterinburg was unacceptable? What changed?

The two-month estrangement, the public quarrels, the speculation—all now brushed aside. Once again, Aliyev’s government will speak of peace one day and of war the next; of friendship with Trump one day and with Putin the next.

At that meeting, the 23rd session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia, the two old “allies” agreed to strengthen ties as if nothing had occurred.

Now, only a day later, we learn that Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev has traveled to Astrakhan to meet Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Overchuk.

I believe there could. Just two weeks after signing a joint declaration on peace in Washington—in full view of the world—it was striking, and deeply puzzling, to hear Aliyev once again speak of preparing for war.

This raises an obvious question: could there be a link between Ilham Aliyev’s declaration of war preparations yesterday and today’s sudden reconciliation with Russia?