July 2026 brought the harshest media sentences in Azerbaijan’s recent history: nine people connected to Toplum TV received 12 to 15 years each.

The communication addresses Azerbaijan's continued failure to introduce alternative civilian service for conscientious objectors, despite constitutional guarantees and the European Court's judgment, while documenting ongoing criminal prosecutions, restrictive legislative amendments, and the absence of meaningful reform protecting freedom of conscience and religion.

The communication highlights Azerbaijan's continued failure to implement the European Court's judgments on freedom of expression, documenting the ongoing use of criminal and administrative measures to silence journalists, the lack of progress in decriminalising defamation, and the worsening environment for independent media and online expression.