Arrest of Ali Karimli exposes the authoritarian crisis Europe can no longer ignore

Ali Karimli, the leader of the Azerbaijani opposition and chairman of the Popular Front Party (APFP), was arrested on December 1 on alleged coup charges. 

The arrest of Ali Karimli is yet another alarming episode in the systematic repression of Azerbaijan’s political opposition. The authorities continue to weaponize criminal law to silence critics and dismantle any remaining space for democratic participation.

On November 29, just days before the formal charge,  security forces raided Karimli’s home, detained him without legal grounds, and held him incommunicado for two days. Several high-ranking APFP officials were also arrested during the coordinated searches. 

The party claims that more than 20 APFP members are currently in prison on politically motivated charges. Pro-government media outlets link the arrests to the State Security Service’s investigation into former president aide Ramiz Mehdiyev. A government source confirmed this in an interview with Reuters. Mehdiyev currently faces charges of “treason” and “attempted seizure of power.” However, the authorities have not provided any convincing evidence of Karimli’s or his party’s involvement in this case..

Ali Karimli’s arrest comes amid a wave of arrests targeting journalists, academics, civil society activists, and human rights defenders that has intensified since 2023 and continued throughout 2025.

Azerbaijani authorities are creating a political environment in which dissent is criminalized, opposition parties are closed, and any space for civic activism is dismantled. Karimli’s arrest sends a clear message to the rest of the population:  independent political activity in any form will not be tolerated.