Azerbaijan Detains Opposition Leader Ali Karimli in Crackdown on Dissent

DID Press: leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, Ali Karimli, along with a senior party member, Mohammad Ibrahim, were detained November 29, 2025 by the country’s security agency. No official charges have been publicly announced.

Karimli’s party described the detentions as “purely political,” calling them part of a deliberate effort to suppress democratic opposition in the country. The searches of both men’s homes were reportedly carried out in connection with a criminal investigation involving a former high‑ranking official.

Authorities offered no public explanation for their actions, and neither Karimli nor Ibrahim have had access to lawyers or a formal statement of charges. Observers regard the move as a further intensification of a crackdown on dissent and independent political activity in Azerbaijan.