LETTER TO THE EDITOR: My father has been wrongly imprisoned in Azerbaijan for nearly 3 months

On September 12, my father, Gubad Ibadoghlu, marked his 52nd birthday while incarcerated in Azerbaijan. He has been unjustly imprisoned for the past 86 days due to his status as a political dissenter. For years, he lived in exile, dedicating his life to unveiling the widespread corruption within the Azerbaijani elite and championing human rights for fellow citizens.

Now, our greatest concern is that his life may be in danger within the confines of the prison. The guards continuously expose him to harsh, blinding lights throughout the day, deliberately disorienting him and depriving him of sleep.

My father also grapples with several medical conditions, including diabetes and chronic back pain. Shockingly, he is denied access to the essential medications he requires, leading to a distressing hospitalization during his imprisonment. Observedly, he can hardly walk due to the agony he endures.

Furthermore, his eyeglasses have been confiscated, a measure intended to prevent him from reading reports about his case in the media or receiving messages from his family or supporters worldwide.

Azerbaijan's authoritarian leader, Ilham Aliyev, has added Ibadoghlu to his rapidly growing list of political prisoners, all because my father dared to envision a better future for our people. Our family has tirelessly engaged with various concerned parties, ranging from members of Congress to activists, human rights organizations and government officials, pleading for assistance in securing my father's release and the medical attention he urgently requires.

Aliyev and his security apparatus have made persistent efforts to intimidate us into silence. Recently, my shared residence with fellow college students in New Jersey was subjected to a break-in and ransacking, with my room singled out for attention. Upon returning home, I found my belongings strewn about and crucial documents carelessly left on my bed.

This was a clear message from Aliyev's agents: Even in America, you are not safe. Keep silent.

The reason my father posed such a significant threat to Azerbaijan's corrupt elite was his relentless pursuit of their ill-gotten wealth. During his time at the London School of Economics and Political Science, he meticulously documented a vast scheme orchestrated by Azerbaijan's elite, including Aliyev's own offspring, to hide their stolen riches in foreign properties and assets.

Thanks to his diligent work, U.K. authorities initiated the seizure of these assets and commenced a crackdown on this rampant corruption. In a twisted turn of events, Azerbaijan's government now falsely accuses my father of financial misconduct and counterfeiting, among other blatantly fabricated charges.

My father fled Azerbaijan in 2015, realizing that it was no longer safe for him to remain while advocating for change. Since then, he has made a profound impact on numerous Western communities.

He has served on the Fulbright Scholar Program board, and he taught and conducted research at institutions such as the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, Duke University, Princeton University and Rutgers. He has been a fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy and received Ukraine's Medal of Service from the Union of Ukrainian Officers for his efforts in disseminating the truth about Russia's invasion through his daily YouTube broadcasts.

Azerbaijan's government seems to believe it can carry out unprecedented political repression and corruption with impunity. In the past 11 months, it has escalated its crackdown on activists and opposition figures, leading to the imprisonment of approximately 200 political dissidents.

Aliyev seems to be banking on the possibility that Europe and the U.S. may turn a blind eye to these human rights violations in exchange for Azerbaijan's energy resources. Azerbaijan spares no expense on influential lobbyists in Washington to dissuade members of Congress from pressuring or imposing sanctions on Aliyev's administration for its transgressions.

My family and I earnestly hope that Western leaders will uphold the values they profess and advocate for the release of an innocent man unjustly detained on trumped-up charges. 

For more than a quarter of a century, my father, Ibadoghlu, has dedicated his life to fighting for a brighter future for Azerbaijan. As a child, I struggled to comprehend why he persevered in advocating for a place that appeared to reject him.

His response to me was always the same: "I want to create a better future for you and your generation." He aspired for a new generation of Azerbaijanis to grow up with the ability to shape their own destiny, free from the oppressive grip of authoritarianism and kleptocracy. 

My father told me he has not received a medical examination since early August, and the results of that examination have been withheld from us. Despite his deteriorating health, the government has prevented the Red Cross from assessing his medical condition. No independent entity has been allowed to visit my father in more than 50 days. Ibadoghlu is in excruciating pain, and yet the regime continues to deny him medical attention.

Aliyev's regime believes it can silence my father by subjecting him to suffering. It believes that through intimidation and violence, it can silence our family. It is unequivocally mistaken.

Emin Bayramli is a School of Arts and Sciences senior.

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