Washington protesters reported the use of force by Aliyev's security forces.

At least four people, including the son of opposition leader Tofig Yagublu, were injured when Azerbaijani presidential security dispersed a protest in Washington demanding the release of political prisoners.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's security detail allegedly used force against protesters in Washington demanding the release of Azerbaijani political prisoners, The Washington Post reports.

Activists claim that the Azerbaijani president's bodyguards used force near the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Washington, a few blocks from the White House. According to the newspaper, Washington police passed information about the attack to the State Department. The Azerbaijani Embassy in the United States did not respond to journalists' inquiries about the incident, the publication reports.

The incident occurred on February 19 near the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, a few blocks from the White House. According to 27-year-old Rahim Yagublu, whose father is imprisoned in Azerbaijan, Aliyev's bodyguards began punching him in the jaw and stomach while he was protesting outside the hotel early in the morning, Vedomosti reports.

Another protester, 35-year-old Adil Amrakhli, reported that he injured his leg while running from security guards. He also noted that at least four other protesters, including Yagublu, were injured.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Tofig Yagublu is a member of the Coordination Center of the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) and the Musavat Party. On March 10, a court sentenced him to nine years in prison after finding him guilty of fraud and document forgery. Yagublu denied the charges and claimed that his prosecution was politically motivated. On May 20, an appeals court upheld the sentence. There is no evidence of Yagublu's guilt in the case, the defense, which is demanding an acquittal, stated.

On February 19, the first meeting of the Peace Council was held in Washington, D.C., attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. At the meeting, US President Donald Trump thanked the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia for establishing peace in the region, Report reports.

On August 8, 2025, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a declaration on the cessation of hostilities at a meeting in Washington. Moreover, Aliyev and Pashinyan did not sign the peace agreement, but only initialed it. Analysts noted that most of the declaration's provisions contained vague wording. US President Donald Trump stated that the key issue that prevented the signing of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Zangezur Corridor, has been resolved. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report "Trump Route" (TRIPP): a transport corridor through Armenia. On January 14, the TRIPP Implementation Framework (TIF) was signed. Its text was published on the English version of the "Caucasian Knot".

"Trump Route", TRIPP - is a transport corridor project between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan through Armenia, created with the mediation and exclusive rights of the United States. It became a key element of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, signed in August 2025 in Washington with the participation of President Donald Trump, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Trump Route (TRIPP): Transport Corridor through Armenia."