Before and After COP29, Azerbaijan Is a Risky Place for Climate Activists
The government has faced criticism for stifling dissent, raising questions about its suitability to host the world's most important climate summit.
Javid Gara is a 32-year-old, self-employed electrician who moved from Baku to England’s Manchester three years ago. He also runs Azerbaijan’s only independent climate group, campaigning to clean up the environment and cut emissions.
Activism of any kind is a rarity in Azerbaijan, which is this week hosting thousands of climate campaigners, scientists, diplomats, executives and world leaders for the COP29 climate summit. Draconian laws restrict local civil society groups and how they’re funded, leading to dozens of arrests in the past decade.
Azerbaijan scores near the bottom of democracy rankings issued by Freedom House, a US nonprofit. The number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan has more than tripled since early 2023, reaching 319 just two months before the start of the United Nations summit in Baku, according to the Institute for Peace and Democracy.