April 29, 2025
The World Liberty Congress (WLC) demands the immediate and unconditional release of Tofig Yagublu, Azerbaijani opposition leader and a lifelong fighter for freedom and democracy, whose life is in grave danger following his imprisonment on fabricated charges and o going hunger strike.
The Azerbaijani regime has made him a repeated target of politically motivated arrests, beatings, and psychological torture. His sentencing on fabricated charges, most recently in March 2025 to nine years in prison, is a brutal continuation of this systemic repression. Now, as he enters the fourth week of a hunger strike protesting his wrongful imprisonment, his deteriorating health demands immediate international attention.
Mr. Yagublu’s declaration—“Only my death would get me out of jail… I choose death over being released from prison at the age of 75”—is not only a direct indictment of the regime’s cruelty but also a cry for freedom from a nation silenced by fear.
The World Liberty Congress urges the international democratic community, human rights defenders, and policymakers to demand Tofig Yagublu’s immediate release, and ensure he receives urgent medical care before his condition becomes irreversible. The Azerbaijani government must be hold accountable for its systematic human rights violations under international law, including through the imposition of targeted sanctions.
