International appeal Azerbaijani president : 'Free Labor Desk activists!'
Appeal to free Labor Desk activists
The international labour news platform LabourStart has launched a new petition campaign addressed to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
The petition supports the Confederation of Trade Unions Labor Desk, established in 2022, four of whose members have been arrested. The campaign was launched on 16 April, and nearly 2,700 emails have already been sent to the Presidential Administration.
Who are the arrested activists?
The petition demands the release of the Confederation’s chair Afiyyaddin Mammadov and its members — Aykhan Israfillov, Elvin Mustafaev, and Mukhayaddin Orudzhev. LabourStart and human rights organisations emphasise that the arrests are politically motivated and violate Azerbaijan’s international commitments on labour rights.
What is Labor Desk and why is it in the spotlight?
The Labor Desk Confederation was established to provide legal assistance to workers in the informal and gig economy, and to fight for social protection and fair wages. The organisation held protest actions across various sectors and spearheaded efforts at collective resistance. These activities provoked a harsh response from the authorities. The organisation’s leadership has been targeted with politically motivated persecution, facing fabricated charges of drug possession and hooliganism.
Contents of the petition
In the template letter provided by LabourStart, it states:
Dear President Aliyev
The imprisonment of Afiaddin Mammadov, Elvin Mustafayev, Aykhan Israfilov, and Mohiaddin Orujov raises serious concerns about politically motivated repression. The prosecution of these individuals undermines Azerbaijan’s international obligations to protect freedom of association and the right to organize, as outlined in ILO Conventions 87 and 98.
The petition’s signatories call on President Aliyev to immediately release the activists and to respect workers’ rights and democratic freedoms.
Labor Desk : “We hope our call will not go unanswered”
The Confederation stated:
“These letters represent the voices of thousands calling for the freedom of our comrades. We hope this appeal will not go unanswered.”
Pressure on trade unions in Azerbaijan
In recent years, the activities of independent trade unions in Azerbaijan have been severely restricted. Organisations established outside state-supported structures face various forms of administrative and legal persecution. In this context, Worktable is regarded as one of the few independent initiatives defending social and labour rights in the country.
The petition campaign aims to draw international attention to this repression and to strengthen protection for the targeted activists.
