Opinion: 'Azerbaijani opposition figure on hunger strike, while country remains dead silent'
Azerbaijan’s Tofiq Yagublu’s hunger strike
One of the most prominent figures in the Azerbaijani opposition, repeatedly arrested on politically motivated charges, Tofiq Yagublu announced an indefinite hunger strike “to the death” on 1 April. He is protesting against a court ruling that sentenced him to nine years in prison.
In response to this protest, civic activist and former political prisoner Qiyas Ibrahim commented on both Tofiq Yagublu’s condition and the Azerbaijani society’s silence in a Facebook post.
Qiyas Ibrahim reminded readers that this is not Yagublu’s first hunger strike. In 2020, during the final days of a similar protest, there was notable mobilisation across various segments of society, especially among young people.
Qiyas Ibrahim himself was one of the organisers of the only protest held during that period.
“That time, the police detained me and another comrade on the way to the protest site. They drove us out to the Mughan Plain and left us in a deserted area. We had to walk for several hours across the plain to reach the highway,” he wrote.
Qiyas Ibrahim believes that today’s public silence is linked to the Second Karabakh War in autumn 2020 and the accompanying rhetoric of “national unity.”
“At that time, many opposition figures, including Tofiq Yagublu, chose to remain silent in the name of ‘national interests’, which in turn led to serious consequences. Even Tofiq Yagublu decided then to abandon his opposition and democratic stance.
And when those who didn’t unite with Ilham Aliyev ‘in the name of national interests’ were persecuted, he didn’t stand up for freedom of speech. Neither he nor the others who made the same choice.”
“Now may be the last chance”
According to Qiyas Ibrahim, if today’s situation could have been foreseen five years ago, many would have made different choices. He believes the 2020 “victory” was in fact a triumph only for the ruling elite — and poison for the people.
“Now this is understood not only by Tofiq Yagublu, but also by war veterans who lost their health on the front line,” he writes.
Qiyas Ibrahim stresses that Yagublu’s hunger strike is not just a personal protest, but perhaps a final warning addressed to society:
“History has always been changed by the physical actions of thousands of people. But it was ideas — ideas not born from the thousands — that pushed them to act. And in Azerbaijan today, there is the physical action of one person — and the inaction of thousands.
Even in the seemingly hopeless atmosphere of today, it may be time to change everything — perhaps this is the last chance. Not just for the freedom of Tofiq Yagublu, but for everyone.
To save a man condemned to death from the hands of evil is to strip evil of all its power. Tofiq Yagublu has chosen to turn his death into a symbol of resistance. And we must, as soon as possible, turn his rescue into a symbol of the fight against evil.”
Who is Tofiq Yagublu?
Tofiq Yagublu is one of the leaders of the opposition Musavat party and the National Council. In 1992–1993, he held a senior position in the executive authority of Binaqadi District.
Criminal cases were brought against him on politically motivated charges in 1998, 2013, 2020, and 2023. He was also subjected to administrative arrest in 2011, 2019, and 2022. International organisations recognise him as a political prisoner.
He was first arrested on 12 September 1998 during an opposition rally in Fountain Square, just weeks before the presidential election. He was held in pre-trial detention and later handed a two-year suspended sentence.
Yagublu has consistently called the charges fabricated and politically motivated.
In 2013, he was arrested following protests in the Ismayilli district under Articles 233 and 315 of the Criminal Code. On 17 March 2014, the Sheki Serious Crimes Court sentenced him to five years in prison.
His arrest drew strong criticism from the international community, including the US and the EU.
During that imprisonment, his daughter, Narghiz Yagublu, passed away.
In March 2016, he was released under a presidential pardon.
In March 2020, he was again arrested under Article 221 (hooliganism). Human rights groups described the case as groundless and fabricated. The court sentenced him to four years and three months in prison.
On 2 September, he began a hunger strike, and after 16 days — on 18 September — he was placed under house arrest.
Tofiq Yagublu is currently continuing the hunger strike he began on 1 April 2025, stating that it is a hunger strike “to the death.”
