The relative of the Azerbaijani oppositionist faced pressure from security forces.

The nephew of oppositionist Jamil Gasanli, detained by security forces in Azerbaijan, was beaten after refusing to publicly speak out against his uncle and the leader of the Popular Front Party, Ali Kerimli.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", in November 2025, employees of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan detained the leader of the PFPA, Ali Kerimli, and his advisor, Mamed Ibrahim. Both oppositionists were arrested and charged under Article 278.1 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan (actions aimed at the violent seizure of power or the violent change of the constitutional order of the state). They rejected the charges, and Kerimli called the criminal case political persecution. On November 3, a preparatory hearing in court was held behind closed doors. Kerimli threatened to refuse to participate in the process if the hearings were closed.

On November 6, Jamil Gasanli stated that his nephew Agil Aliyev had been detained by security forces and beaten in the police department of the Bilasuvar district of Azerbaijan, Meydan TV reported on the same day.

According to Gasanli, on November 5, a group of security forces came to the gym and took his nephew to the police department.

They told him: "Speak on television against Ali Kerimli and your uncle Jamil Gasanli"

"There they told him: 'Speak on television against Ali Kerimli and your uncle Jamil Gasanli. Say that they are leading the people down a false path. Declare that, although Ali Kerimli is in prison, Jamil Gasanli continues to deceive the youth with his speeches, confusing them. Address the youth, tell them not to trust these people, and declare that you do not trust them either,'" the publication quoted Gasanli's words.

According to him, Agil Aliyev refused to comply with this demand, after which he was beaten and threatened with reprisals against his two daughters.

Jamil Gasanli added that there were traces of beatings on his nephew's body. He noted that Agil Aliyev had faced pressure before: several years ago, shortly before Agil's wedding, security forces demanded that his uncle Jamil Gasanli not attend the celebration.

The oppositionist considered the pressure on his nephew to be part of a campaign against him and his associates, coinciding with the trial of Ali Kerimli.

It was not possible to obtain a comment from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the police department of the Bilasuvar district, the publication writes.

Pressure on the opposition PFPA intensified in 2025

In 2025, Azerbaijani authorities intensified repression against the Popular Front Party, and the culmination of these processes was the arrest of Ali Kerimli and his associates, the PFPA stated earlier.

According to associates, Ali Kerimli faced new pressure after the publication of his written interview by the France24 channel. In it, Kerimli claimed that he was being persecuted for his long-standing opposition activities "against the regime of [Azerbaijan's President Ilham] Aliyev," and he considers himself a "prisoner of conscience."

The PFPA has become a target for the Azerbaijani authorities due to its consistent struggle against the strengthening of authoritarianism and corruption in the country. At the same time, there is no other party in Azerbaijan that has also "permanently faced pressure, persecution, and repression" over the past 20 years, Jamil Gasanli previously told the "Caucasian Knot."

In 2024, the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan exceeded 300 for the first time since the early 2000s. The "Union for the Freedom of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan" published a new national list of political prisoners on October 6, 2026, including 322 names.

The largest increase in prisoners occurred in 2024-2025, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Main points about the record number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan". At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.