Exiled Azerbaijani Theatre Director Urges European Leaders Not to Ignore Political Arrests

Elmin Badalov, the exiled founder of Azerbaijan’s independent ADO Theatre, has published an open letter addressed to European institutions and political leaders, urging them not to remain silent about arrests and human rights violations in Azerbaijan for the sake of economic and strategic interests.

Badalov said the independent theatre he founded in 2013 was forced to close after facing sustained pressure, while he himself eventually had to leave the country. In his letter, he argued that authoritarian governments fear independent thought because political change begins long before a government is replaced.

“Political change does not begin when power changes hands. It begins when people think differently, ask questions and imagine a new future,” he wrote. “Authoritarian systems understand this very well. That is why they fear independent journalism, satire, theatre, literature and art.”

The theatre director said an atmosphere of fear had been deliberately created in Azerbaijan and warned that the destruction of independent institutions deprives society of its collective memory and its ability to imagine alternatives.

“When an independent theatre is silenced, society loses one of the spaces in which it recognizes itself. When journalists are imprisoned, society loses part of its memory. As independent voices disappear, society also loses the ability to imagine a different future,” Badalov said.

He argued that the suppression of journalists, artists, writers and civic voices should not be treated merely as Azerbaijan’s internal affair.

The letter also criticized European governments for retreating from their democratic principles in pursuit of energy security, regional stability and other strategic interests. Badalov said cooperation with Azerbaijan should not come at the expense of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

“Security and strategic partnership must not be built on the sacrifice of human rights,” he wrote.

ADO Theatre was established in 2013 by actor and director Elmin Badalov and became known as one of Azerbaijan’s first independent and modern theatre initiatives. Its productions addressed social and political issues, while the group also organized public and street performances.

The theatre repeatedly faced pressure and, on several occasions, police intervention during attempts to stage performances in public spaces. It later suspended its activities, and Badalov left Azerbaijan.

Cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union has expanded significantly in recent years, particularly in the energy sector. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU sought to reduce its dependence on Russian gas, and Azerbaijan became one of its alternative suppliers.

Human rights defenders and independent analysts have argued that energy and geopolitical considerations have discouraged European institutions from taking a stronger position on political repression, media restrictions and arrests in Azerbaijan.

The European Union says human rights, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms remain part of its dialogue with the Azerbaijani government.

Azerbaijani authorities reject allegations that the country holds political prisoners and maintain that those detained have been prosecuted for specific violations of the law rather than for their political views, professional work or activism.