Azerbaijani human rights activist Safarov sentenced to eight years in prison

A court in Azerbaijan has sentenced human rights activist Safarov to eight years in prison on charges of hooliganism and fraud. Safarov was arrested in December 2024, shortly before his planned trip to the United States where he was scheduled to receive a human rights award from the U.S. State Department. The sentencing comes amid Azerbaijan's ongoing crackdown on civil society activists and human rights defenders, with international organizations frequently criticizing the country's authoritarian government for using spurious criminal charges to silence dissent and intimidate those who advocate for democratic freedoms.