Afiyaddin Mamedov was awarded the Nargiz Prize

The annual Nargiz Prize, awarded for efforts in the fight for democracy in Azerbaijan, was awarded to Afiyaddin Mammadov, chairman of the alternative Azerbaijani trade union confederation "Workers' Platform," who is serving a prison sentence.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," on January 14, a Baku court sentenced Afiyaddin Mammadov, head of the alternative trade union confederation "Workers' Platform," to eight years in prison after finding him guilty of stabbing a passerby. An appeals court upheld the sentence. In April, Mamedov complained about systematic violations of prisoners' rights to make phone calls, and in June, he reported unsanitary conditions in the prison colony.

On December 20, the Nargiz-2025 awards ceremony was held at the headquarters of the opposition Musavat party. This year, the award was presented to Afiyaddin Mammadov, chairman of the alternative Confederation of Trade Unions of Azerbaijan "Workers' Platform," who is currently serving a prison sentence.

The award was presented by Isa Gambar, head of the Musavat Party, to Sara Rahimova, a member of the board of the Confederation of Trade Unions "Workers' Platform."

Afiyaddin Mammadov was awarded the Nargiz Prize for his contribution to the struggle for democracy in Azerbaijan and his activities in defense of labor and political rights. For this activity, he sacrificed his freedom and is now facing a lengthy prison sentence on trumped-up charges. But even in prison, he continues his struggle. “Under harsh prison conditions, Afiyaddin initiated the creation of the Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners,” Nigar Hazi, sister of the late Nargiz Yagublu and a member of the Nargiz Prize Award Committee, told a Caucasian Knot correspondent.

Mammadov’s associate Sara Rahimova read a message from an activist from correctional facility No. 2 at the awards ceremony.

“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who considered me worthy of the Nargiz Prize. Receiving the Nargiz Prize in these difficult, repressive days that the Azerbaijani socio-political sector is experiencing is an incentive for us. I dedicate this award to brave and hardworking journalists, especially "Absazists", "Toplumists" and "Meydanists" (referring to the journalists arrested in the cases of Abzas Media, Toplum TV and Meydan TV, whose persecution is described in the "Caucasian Knot" report "Serial Arrests of Journalists in Azerbaijan"). I dedicate it to the working class that challenges oppression with raised fists. I dedicate it to the parties, movements, civil society representatives and social activists who do not give up despite mass repression and cruel treatment. I dedicate it to political prisoners held in prisons and their families. I dedicate it to my comrades who did not leave me alone either before or after my imprisonment. I dedicate it to all the activists of the "Workers' Platform". I hope that these cold, "The dark days will soon end, and each of us will be able to see the sunrise and warm ourselves in its dawn," reads Mamedov's message, a copy of which was given to a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Rahimova.

She noted that, along with Mamedov, other activists of the Workers' Platform, Aykhan Israfilov, Elvin Mustafayev, and Mohyaddin Orujov, are also "languishing in Azerbaijani prisons."

"They didn't commit crimes, they were simply fighting for workers' rights, for social justice," Rahimova said.