US President Donald Trump is set to host Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the White House on August 8 to sign a memorandum of understanding that could lead to a peace deal between the two countries.
President Trump is expected to hold bilateral meetings with both leaders as well. While the Washington meetings are intended to cement progress toward regional stability, Trump’s meeting with Aliyev also presents a critical opportunity for the United States to raise urgent concerns about Azerbaijan’s staggering crackdown on dissent.
Since late 2023, Azerbaijan has conducted an all-out assault on independent media, civil society, and the political opposition. It has silenced most independent and opposition media. Nongovernmental groups face an increasingly hostile environment that has forced many to dissolve or operate surreptitiously.
Human Rights Watch has documented dozens of arbitrary detentions and politically motivated prosecutions of journalists, activists, and rights defenders. Among them are at least 25 journalists from the top independent Azerbaijani news outlets who are behind bars.
Most recently, in June, a court handed down long prison terms for seven journalists: Farid Mehralizada of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and six from Abzas Media. The convictions, based on bogus allegations of smuggling and tax evasion, are widely viewed as retaliation for uncovering government corruption, and emblematic of the broader campaign to silence critical media.
The crackdown builds on long-term, systemic efforts to marginalize civic groups and prosecute activists, including by denying them registration, restricting access to funding, and criminalizing unregistered activity. New measures require groups and individuals to register all contracts, including for services, if they involve any foreign funding, with penalties for failing to comply, shutting down a pathway independent media had used to finance their work.
The upcoming White House meeting signals that the Trump administration has influence with Aliyev that it should use including to press for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and for meaningful reforms to protect freedom of the press and ensure space for civil society. Trump should ensure, and communicate this clearly to his counterparts, that future high-level engagement can’t be uncoupled from respect for fundamental freedoms.
