Gubad Ibadoghlu with his lawyers after his release from prison. Photo Credit: Ibad Bayramov
Prominent economist and New University in Exile Consortium scholar Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu has been released to house arrest after 274 days in detention in a Baku prison. Dr. Ibadoghlu was detained on July 23, 2023, where he awaited trial on currency charges. These charges were later changed to “the preparation, storage, or distribution of religious extremist materials”. While under detention, Dr. Ibadoghlu was denied adequate medical care as his health condition deteriorated. Although he is now under house arrest, he still cannot receive the proper healthcare he needs in Azerbaijan. Dr. Ibadoghlu is set to face trial on August 20, 2024.
Gubad Ibadoghlu is an opposition figure leading the Democracy and Welfare Party and a critic of President Aliyev. He is also an internationally known economist who has held visiting positions in universities like Central European University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and Princeton University. He was most recently a Visiting Fellow and Senior Economist at the London School of Economics from September 2021 to June 2023.
Recently, on June 24, 2024, the New University in Exile Consortium sent a letter to United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, requesting the U.S. government to put pressure on the Azerbaijani government to lift the house arrest decision and drop all charges against him. The letter is undersigned by 61 consortium scholars from around the world.
Endangered Scholars Worldwide condemns the unjust persecution of Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu as well as the mistreatments he has been subject to under detention. We call on the Azerbaijani government to release Dr. Ibadoghlu from house arrest and lift the travel ban that is barring him from seeking medical attention. We further call on the members of the international community dedicated to upholding human rights globally to join our call.