Azerbaijani activist Orujov reported harassment in prison

Mohyaddin Orujov, a trade union activist convicted in Azerbaijan, was subjected to pressure from prison administration. The administration is turning other prisoners against Orujov, his lawyer reported.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on February 25, 2025, a Baku court sentenced activist Mohyaddin Orujov to three years in prison, finding him guilty of drug trafficking. Orujev called the case fabricated and explained that he was persecuted after speaking out for his labor rights and the rights of other workers at the ATEF plant.

Trade union activist Mohyaddin Orujov has faced pressure in Correctional Facility No. 13, where he is serving his sentence, his lawyer, Nazim Musayev, told a Caucasian Knot correspondent.

"Some time ago, Mohyaddin Orujov asked the prison administration to allow him to videocontact his family. While he was speaking with his family, a screenshot was taken, and the image was subsequently circulated on social media. The warden of Correctional Facility No. 13 reprimanded Mohyaddin for this." However, the young man said he was unaware of how the image had appeared online, and Mohyaddin couldn't have done that while in prison," Musayev said.

According to him, prison administration is turning other inmates against Orujev, telling them that because of him, they too will no longer be able to use videoconferencing with their loved ones. Specifically, they are trying to draw Orujev "into provocations and fights."

The lawyer noted that he contacted the administration of Correctional Facility No. 13 to stop the pressure on Orujev. "I told them: if they believe Orujev has committed some kind of offense, then they should formally take punitive measures against him." "But it is unacceptable for other prisoners to be turned against him; this could lead to unpredictable consequences," said Nazim Musayev, adding that pressure had been exerted on Orujov in Correctional Facility No. 13 before.

The Penitentiary Service was unable to comment; calls to the public relations department were not answered, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reported.

12:13 11.06.2025

Key points about the record number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan

In 2024, the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reached its highest level in the country's 23 years of membership in the Council of Europe. In February 2025, human rights activists reported 357 names added to the list, and in June, 375 names. The largest increase in prisoners occurred over the past year.

As a reminder, Azerbaijan is undergoing an amnesty, announced on December 15, 2025, by President Ilham Aliyev. It is expected to last four months and affect approximately 20,000 people. Azerbaijani activists and journalists living abroad called the amnesty "manipulation of public opinion."

As of January 5, 52 political prisoners were granted amnesty and were released from prison. Thus, the amnesty has so far affected only a small portion of the political prisoners whose list is being updated by the Union "For Freedom for Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan."

In 2024, the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan exceeded 300 for the first time since the early 2000s. In October 2025, the Union "For Freedom for Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan" published a new national list of political prisoners, including 392 names. At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.