The family of Ali Karimli warns that the regime in Baku is “deliberately trying to break him” by cutting off safe drinking water, sealing him off from contact with loved ones and subjecting him to relentless sleep deprivation. The 61‑year‑old opposition figure has been languishing in a pre‑trial detention centre for almost a year after being seized in November 2025 on charges of plotting a Russian‑backed coup. His daughter, Sezan Karimli, says the conditions have spiralled into a systematic campaign of physical and psychological abuse, and she is now pleading with the United Kingdom – Azerbaijan’s largest foreign investor – to intervene before it is too late.
A Regime’s Silent Assault
Since his arrest, Karimli has been held under “politically motivated” treason allegations that he and his supporters insist are fabricated. The case has become a focal point in a broader crackdown that rights groups say has targeted the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party (APFP) since late 2025. The pattern is familiar: serious criminal accusations unsupported by credible evidence, prolonged pre‑trial detention, and a steady erosion of basic rights. Human Rights Watch’s deputy director for Europe and Central Asia, Giorgi Gogia, has noted that the prosecution cannot be viewed in isolation from the government’s wider campaign against dissent. “What we do have is a well‑documented pattern in Azerbaijan of government critics being arrested and prosecuted on unfounded or highly questionable criminal charges,” he said. The methods – isolation, sleep deprivation, denial of medical care – are, according to Gogia, designed not merely to punish an individual but to intimidate the wider opposition.
Life Behind Bars: The Physical Toll
Karimli’s health has deteriorated sharply in recent weeks. His lawyers report a “significant weight loss”, a “markedly yellow complexion” and “red eyes”. The family alleges that for two days he was refused water he could safely drink because of a gall‑bladder condition, and that tap water supplied to him is unsafe. The detention centre, located in Baku, is said to be operating without ventilation while temperatures hover between 30 °C and 35 °C. Sleep deprivation has been imposed for weeks, and Karimli is no longer allowed to exercise, go outside, or read books and newspapers. His waste has not been removed for days, and the family has been blocked from sending food parcels.
Sezan Karimli told this publication that her father has been cut off from all telephone contact and visits since 10 June. “He kept speaking, and this is the punishment,” she assessed. The family’s attempts to reach him have been met with silence; the last official communication with the Azerbaijani foreign ministry dates back to 12 May. The isolation is part of a broader strategy that, according to rights observers, is intended to crush the will of a high‑profile dissident. The lack of medical attention, the extreme heat, and the deliberate denial of basic necessities are being used, the family believes, to break him physically where legal arguments have failed.
International Calls for Action
The United Kingdom, as Azerbaijan’s largest foreign investor, is being urged to make its displeasure public. In a statement, a UK foreign office spokesperson said they have raised Karimli’s case with senior members of the Azerbaijani government, pressing for due process and access to medical care. However, Sezan Karimli says that is not enough. “The time for international pressure is now, while he is still in pre‑trial detention. Every week in these conditions is a week his life is at risk,” she warned. She called on the FCDO to issue a public statement to the Azerbaijani authorities and to press for his release, echoing the sentiment of Human Rights Watch, which this week urged Azerbaijan’s international partners to raise the case both publicly and in bilateral meetings.
The European Union has also expressed concern over the treatment of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, but concrete action remains limited. Meanwhile, Karimli’s lawyers have requested that his detention be replaced with house arrest, a motion that was denied by the Baku Court of Appeal earlier this month. The court’s decision underscores the judiciary’s entanglement with the executive, leaving little room for legal recourse. As the pre‑trial detention is now extended to November without a trial date, the window for diplomatic intervention narrows. The family’s plea is clear: the world must act now, or risk losing another voice for democracy in the region.
The Human Cost of Silence
The story of Ali Karimli is more than a single case of alleged mistreatment; it is a microcosm of a broader battle for freedom of expression in Azerbaijan. Over the past decade, hundreds of journalists, activists and political opponents have been arrested, effectively silencing dissent. The regime’s strategy – using criminal law as a weapon, prolonged detention, and systematic abuse – has been documented by numerous human‑rights organisations. Yet, despite the mounting evidence, the international community often balances strategic interests against moral imperatives. Azerbaijan’s role as an energy supplier and a regional player makes it a difficult partner for Western governments, but the cost of complacency is measured in human lives and the erosion of democratic values.
Karimli’s plight also highlights the vulnerability of families left to navigate a labyrinth of bureaucratic and legal obstacles. Sezan Karimli’s campaign illustrates how personal tragedy can become a catalyst for broader advocacy, yet it also exposes the limits of individual action against a state apparatus built for repression. The international community’s response – or lack thereof – will shape the future of civil society in Azerbaijan and set a precedent for how other authoritarian regimes treat their critics.
Why it Matters
The treatment of Ali Karimli is a litmus test for the credibility of international human‑rights commitments. If powerful nations allow Azerbaijan to continue its campaign of silent torture without meaningful consequence, they implicitly endorse the notion that political dissent can be crushed through cruelty. This undermines the very democratic principles that many claim to uphold and emboldens other regimes to follow suit. The UK, as a leading global voice, must leverage its economic ties to demand accountability, not just for Karimli’s sake but for the countless others whose voices are being extinguished. The stakes are high: a failure to act now could cement a climate where authoritarianism thrives unchecked, while the world watches from the sidelines.
