The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) strongly condemns the Azerbaijani authorities for their arbitrary and politically motivated arrest of Gubad Ibadoglu, a prominent anti-corruption expert, and urges for his immediate release.

Professor of Economy Dr. Gubad Ibadoglu, a brave critic of kleptocracy and nepotism, was detained on July 23 in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, shortly after returning from a two-year tenure as a senior visiting fellow at the London School of Economics in the UK. In May 2020, he launched the YouTube channel BİZ TV, where he, along with other experts, daily exposed Azerbaijan’s socio-economic problems and criticized the issues with inefficient public administration. Additionally, since 2018, Ibadoglu has been an expert at the independent news agency Turan, contributing monthly analytical reviews on problems in Azerbaijan’s economy. He also played a leading role in the opposition “Azerbaijan Party of Democracy and Welfare.”