Your Excellency President Aliyev,

COP29 has come to a close, but these past few weeks have the power to fuel lasting change. As global leaders, civil society organizations, and climate advocates return to their home countries, I urge you to use this momentum to commit to international human rights standards.

As a longtime human rights attorney, I know that protecting human rights and promoting and enabling civic space are crucial to a functioning, flourishing society. Without the ability to speak freely and protest peacefully, democracy withers, and our fundamental rights fall with it. 

I’ve watched in dismay as your government has continued to crack down on dissenting voices, criminalizing journalists, activists, and academics for speaking truth to power. The list of political prisoners held under your authority has grown to more than 300 individuals. Reporters Without Borders has ranked Azerbaijan 164 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index. Your police forces routinely suppress peaceful protests, and NGO activity is severely restricted. 

This persecution of government critics, coupled with restrictions on freedom of association and laws allowing for media censorship, has had a chilling effect on civil society and the population as a whole. If individuals cannot speak up, cannot share their concerns without fear of a jail cell, then there can be no free and honest discourse. Without that open exchange of ideas, progress stalls, democracy is an illusion.

Now is the time to show the world Azerbaijan is willing to change. As my father observed in 1967, “the sharpest criticism often goes hand in hand with the deepest idealism and love of country.” I have spoken with Azerbaijani leaders, advocates, and human rights defenders, and I have witnessed that love firsthand. You have the opportunity to show your citizens – and the international community – that you are ready to uphold the ideals of a democratic and rights-abiding country. And I write to you today to urge you to unconditionally and immediately release the political prisoners who have been arbitrarily detained and guarantee future protection of environmental activists.

In the wake of COP29, you have an opportunity to forge a new legacy – one that will outlive any conference or summit.  This is the moment to change course, chart a new future for Azerbaijan, and show true leadership in a world often lacking it. I hope you take it, and I stand ready and willing to support such efforts to ensure free expression in Azerbaijan and around the world.