The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has joined a coalition of human rights organisations urging the International Association of Judges (IAJ) to adopt a resolution on the erosion of judicial independence and widespread human rights violations in Azerbaijan, ahead of the IAJ’s annual meeting in Baku in October 2025.
The open letter calls attention to the Azerbaijani judiciary’s subordination to the executive, resulting in politically motivated prosecutions, arbitrary detention, and routine violations of the right to a fair trial. It highlights the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) findings of systemic failures by domestic courts to protect those targeted for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association.
The organisations note that Azerbaijan ranks among the poorest performers in implementing ECtHR judgments, with most leading cases concerning fair trial rights and liberty remaining unresolved. The letter also cites increasing persecution of lawyers, journalists, and civil society actors.
The ICJ and other organisations urge the IAJ to condemn executive interference in the judiciary, call for full cooperation with international monitoring mechanisms, and initiate a monitoring process under the Association’s own rules to examine Azerbaijan’s compliance with judicial independence principles.
The full open letter is available 250929-Open-Letter-to-IAJ-Finalized-draft
