Bahruz Samadov Injures Himself at Supreme Court; Appeal Rejected

BAKU, September 25 — Imprisoned researcher and peace activist Bahruz Samadov injured himself during a break in a Supreme Court hearing on Friday. The court later rejected his appeal.

According to reports, Samadov cut his right arm in several places. He said he was protesting what he considers his unlawful imprisonment and the decision to place him under a stricter prison regime. No official information has yet been released about his condition or the medical care he received after the incident.

Samadov had previously warned that prison conditions were harming his physical and mental health. He said he was being held in a small, enclosed space at the Umbaki Penitentiary Complex, with too little sunlight or time outdoors. He also reported worsening eye and skin problems. In a message shared through his family in August, he warned that he might harm himself if his conditions did not change.

His lawyer, Zibeyda Sadigova, has also raised concerns about his health. She said he had been placed in a punishment cell and that his detention conditions had become harsher. On May 21, the Supreme Court rejected his complaint about being transferred to Umbaki, a prison with a stricter regime.

State Security Service officers detained Samadov on August 21, 2024. He was charged with treason. Investigators allege that he worked with Armenian intelligence services. Samadov denies the charge and links his arrest to his academic work, public activities and peace advocacy. In an official response to the United Nations, the Azerbaijani government maintained that he had committed treason and said his legal rights had been respected during the case.

On June 23, 2025, the Baku Court for Serious Crimes sentenced Samadov to 15 years in prison. He is a political science doctoral student at Charles University in the Czech Republic.

His case has drawn concern from international academic and human rights organisations. Amnesty International has said his health deteriorated significantly after his transfer to a closed-regime prison and that he has faced problems accessing necessary medical care. On September 18, a human rights committee representing the Swedish Academy of Sciences and other academies called on Azerbaijan to release him, citing concerns about his detention conditions, medical care and wellbeing.

The Penitentiary Service has not yet responded to Samadov’s claims about the reasons for Friday’s incident.