The CRef expresses its deepest concern regarding the arrest of Bahruz Samadov, a 29-year-old Azerbaijani researcher, which occurred in Baku on August 21, 2024. A doctoral student in political science at Charles University in Prague, Bahruz Samadov is conducting research into Azerbaijani authoritarianism, developing a critical and rigorous approach to the regime currently in force in his country. At the start of the 2024-2025 academic year, he was due to join the University of Poznan to continue his research.
A very active intellectual in the public arena, Bahruz Samadov has published numerous analyses both in the academic, and media, which have shed light on the complexity of Azerbaijani society against a backdrop of recurring episodes of war. Having courageously spoken out against his country's relaunched war in 2020 from day one, he exposed himself to a massive smear campaign.
Placed in pre-trial detention and charged with state treason for taking part in meetings with Armenian colleagues under the auspices of European organizations, he faces, in the event of conviction, a sentence ranging from twelve years to life imprisonment. During his arrest, Bahruz Samadov was psychologically and physically abused. After being beaten, he went on hunger strike. His conditions of detention are alarming.
Since then, other Azerbaijani colleagues and peace activists close to Samadov have been apprehended and interrogated by the Azerbaijani police. They are banned from leaving the country and live in fear of possible arrest.
As universities, we express our solidarity with Bahruz Samadov and our deep concern about his situation. The five universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, united within CRef, reaffirm their visceral attachment to academic freedom everywhere in the world.
