One of the leaders of the Azerbaijani opposition has been arrested

The political situation in Azerbaijan is deteriorating following the arrest of Ali Karimli, the leader of the opposition Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA). A Baku court ordered his pretrial detention for two and a half months on charges of attempting to violently seize power.

Karimli is a defendant in the case against former head of the Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev, whom investigators believe was involved in an attempted coup. The PFPA denies all charges, calling them politically motivated.

The opposition, represented by Fuad Gahramanli and the Popular Front, has sharply condemned the "new wave of repression," claiming that the authorities are attempting to suppress democratic forces and establish a dictatorship by intimidating the population and preventing potential protests.

The Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) calls the charges against Karimli and other opposition figures, such as Jamil Hasanli and Gultekin Hajibeyli, fabricated and politically motivated. The party denies any "Russian connections" or involvement in the coup attempts, emphasizing its commitment to European integration and peaceful methods of struggle.

The case against former head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev is connected to charges of attempted seizure of power and treason. According to investigators, Mehdiyev developed a coup plan and proposed it to Russia, envisioning the creation of a State Council for the transitional period under his leadership. It is alleged that Mehdiyev himself passed information about the plan and its participants to the Russian side. Information about this plan was conveyed to Azerbaijan by Russia during a meeting of the heads of state in Dushanbe.

Последние новости
Pashinyan Warns of the “Beginning of the End” for the EAEU
Politics
Pashinyan Warns of the “Beginning of the End” for the EAEU
29 July 2026

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has warned that Russia’s restrictions on Armenian exports are calling into question the future of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), saying the dispute could mark “the beginning of the end” for the Moscow-led bloc if it is not resolved soon.
Nauru becomes the third country to withdraw recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Politics
Nauru becomes the third country to withdraw recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
29 July 2026

The Pacific island nation of Nauru has severed diplomatic relations with the self-proclaimed entities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, effectively revoking its earlier recognition of their "independence." The Georgian Foreign Ministry announced the move.
Imam in Georgia Beaten After Speaking Turkish
Society
Imam in Georgia Beaten After Speaking Turkish
29 July 2026

An attack on the family of a Meskhetian Muslim in the southern Georgian town of Akhaltsikhe has raised questions about the police response. The victims say more than ten men assaulted the local mosque’s imam, Shevket Dvalidze, but only two suspects were detained and later released on bail. Human rights groups are calling for investigators to examine whether the attack was motivated by ethnic, linguistic and religious hatred.
Reporters Without Borders Calls Sentences Against Azerbaijani Journalists Politically Motivated
Human rights
Reporters Without Borders Calls Sentences Against Azerbaijani Journalists Politically Motivated
29 July 2026

The international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the sentences handed down to staff members of the Azerbaijani YouTube channel Toplum TV, describing them as further evidence of the persecution of independent journalists in the country.