Ex-Political Prisoner Ahsan Nuruzada Rearrested Following Short Freedom

Ex-political prisoner and prominent member of the Muslim Unity Movement (MU), Ahsan Nuruzade, has been detained again in Azerbaijan, just 20 days after his release from prison. On the afternoon of October 26, Nuruzade was meeting his daughter at Khazar University in Baku when four individuals forced him into a car and took him to an undisclosed location. Despite his mother’s attempts to contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs, there has been no response to the situation.

Nuruzade had previously been arrested twice in 2017 under administrative charges. In October 2017, he was charged with drug trafficking and sentenced to seven years in prison. Human rights organizations recognized him as a political prisoner, asserting that the charges were politically motivated. After serving his sentence, he was released on October 5, 2024, but soon faced new charges related to narcotics. On October 26, the Narimanov District Court sentenced him to two months of administrative detention, reduced by two days due to his previous time in custody. The court also ruled that after serving his sentence, he should undergo mandatory treatment for drug addiction, a decision contested by his defence lawyer.

Nuruzade strongly denies the drug-related charges, calling the expert analysis used to support them fraudulent. His lawyer, Fakhraddin Mehdiyev, has stated that the court disregarded critical aspects of Nuruzade’s personal situation, including the death of his wife and his responsibility for two children, as well as his serious health condition. If the decision is not overturned by the appellate court, Nuruzade’s lawyer has indicated plans for a hunger strike.