The Human Rights Committee of Sweden’s Scientific and Literary Academies has sent open letters to the Azerbaijani authorities, appealing for the prompt release of the imprisoned researcher Bahruz Samadov.
Bahruz Samadov, a Ph.D. candidate in political science at Charles University in Prague, was arrested in Azerbaijan in August 2024 and was sentenced the following year to 15 years in prison for high treason. UN experts and other members of the international scholarly and human rights community have expressed concern that the charges appear to be connected with his academic writings and peaceful expression of his opinions.
Samadov has reportedly been held under very harsh conditions in prison and has had inadequate access to necessary medical care. His physical and mental health have deteriorated significantly since his arrest, and the Committee appeals for his prompt release.
The letter:
Stockholm 14 September 2026
Your Excellency,
We are writing to express our great concern about Bahruz Samadov, an imprisoned Azerbaijani researcher who is serving a lengthy sentence on spurious national security-related charges that appear to be connected with his scholarly work.
Mr. Samadov is a Ph.D. candidate in political science at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. In August 2024 while visiting family in Azerbaijan, he was arrested by State Security Service officers. Reliable reports indicate that Mr. Samadov was subsequently charged with high treason for allegedly passing unspecified information to Armenia. In June 2025, following a trial that was effectively closed, he was convicted of high treason and sentenced to 15 years in prison. It is our understanding that no credible evidence has ever been made public to support the charges brought against him. In late May 2026, his conviction was upheld on appeal by the Supreme Court.
We are alarmed by reports that Mr. Samadov has been subjected to extreme pressures in prison, including placement in a punishment cell, withholding of necessary medical care, and irregular communication with his family. Our concern for his well-being is heightened in light of his forcible transfer in February to Umbaki Penitentiary Prison, a high-security facility known for its harsh conditions of confinement. The move has contributed to his isolation, as the prison is 70 kilometers away from his elderly grandmother (his only living relative) and difficult for her to visit due to her poor health. Recent reports indicate that Mr. Samadov is held in a small, dark, windowless cell, as a result of which his poor eyesight has worsened greatly. His physical and mental health have deteriorated significantly since his arrest, leading him to attempt suicide twice and to undertake multiple hunger strikes.
Mr. Samadov has published widely about political matters in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus, and we share concerns expressed by UN human rights experts and other members of the international scholarly and human rights communities that the charges brought against him appear to stem from his academic writings and the peaceful expression of his opinions more generally. Criminalizing his exercise of the right to freedom of expression is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Azerbaijan is a party.
In light of the above, we respectfully request that you use your good offices to ensure Mr. Samadov’s prompt release from prison as a matter of urgency.
Thank you in advance, Your Excellency, for your attention to this matter of utmost importance to the scientific community.
Respectfully yours,
Stefan Svallfors
Professor, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of Sweden’s Scientific and Literary Academies
The Human Rights Committee of Sweden’s Scientific and Literary Academies includes members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, the Swedish Academy and the Young Academy of Sweden.
