On October 18, Azerbaijan celebrates the Day of the Restoration of Independence. It was on this date in 1991 that the republic’s Supreme Soviet adopted a Constitutional Act, formalizing the country’s departure from the Soviet system and the restoration of its state sovereignty.

This date is linked to the history of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, proclaimed on May 28, 1918. It was one of the first democratic states in the Muslim world, but it lasted less than two years; in April 1920, Soviet rule was established in Azerbaijan.

Following the collapse of the USSR, the republic returned to independent statehood. On August 30, 1991, the parliament adopted a declaration on the restoration of independence, which citizens subsequently confirmed in a nationwide referendum on December 29 of that year.

In 2021, Azerbaijan legally distinguished between these two historical dates: May 28 became "Independence Day," while October 18 was designated as the "Day of the Restoration of Independence." Thus, the former commemorates the founding of the republic in 1918, while the latter marks the restoration of sovereignty in 1991.

To mark the occasion, a mass march titled "Together Toward the Summit" was held in Baku, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in collaboration with the Azerbaijan Athletics Federation. Participants set off from Funicular Square and ascended the stairs toward Highland Park. A total of 800 people registered for the event.

The 35th anniversary of the restoration of Azerbaijan’s independence comes amid criticism of the country’s political situation from the opposition, independent journalists, and European institutions. On October 13, the outlet Meydan TV published an article by imprisoned journalist Natig Javadli, titled "There Is Neither a Government nor a Press in Azerbaijan. There Is Only the Aliyevs’ Rule."

"This is where we have arrived today: there is neither a press nor a government. There is only a government acting at the behest of the Aliyev dynasty, and media outlets under the control of the authorities," the journalist writes.

He attributes the country’s current situation to the concentration of power in the hands of a single family and the shrinking space for independent journalism.

On October 8, the European Parliament adopted a resolution concerning the cases of Ali Karimli, leader of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party; human rights defender Anar Mammadli; and other detainees. The deputies demanded their release and called for an end to the persecution of opposition figures, journalists, and human rights defenders. In response, the Parliament of Azerbaijan rejected the document, labeling it politically motivated and based on unfounded allegations.

Earlier, on June 24, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution regarding the suppression of independent voices in Azerbaijan. The document pointed to restrictions placed on the media, the opposition, and civil society, as well as the persecution of journalists and human rights activists. The Assembly urged the authorities to cease the criminal prosecution of individuals for their journalistic work and to release those held in custody on politically motivated charges.

According to an analysis by the BBC, the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan has roughly tripled over the past five years. While human rights defenders’ lists included 93 individuals in February 2023, the Institute for Peace and Democracy counted 328 political prisoners by May 2024. In Reporters Without Borders’ 2026 Press Freedom Index, Azerbaijan ranked 171st out of 180 countries, falling four places over the course of the year. The organization notes that virtually the entire media sector in the country is under the control of the authorities, and that a new wave of repression against independent journalists began in November 2023.