Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu was arrested in July last year (Picture: Getty)
The son of a prominent international scholar is pushing for a meeting with Lord David Cameron to free his dad from imprisonment in Azerbaijan.
Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu – who has worked at LSE, Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill – was arrested on July 23, 2023, when plainclothes officers rammed a car he was driving in with his wife and took him into custody.
He was later charged with the ‘acquisition or sale of counterfeit money by an organised group’ and ‘possessing extremist material’.
He faces 12 years in prison if convicted.
Dr Ibadoghlu was outspoken in his criticism of Azerbaijan’s increasingly authoritarian government before his arrest, something which human rights groups have cited as a reason for his harsh treatment.
His arrest is the latest in a series of troubling arrests in Azerbaijan, which will host COP29 in the capital city of Baku.
Dr Ibadoghlu’s son Ibad Bayramov, 23, has spoken to Metro.co.uk about his dad’s detainment.
Ibad is fighting to get his father released (Picture: Ibad Bayramov)
Dr Ibadoghlu has heart issues (Picture: Getty)
He explained how Dr Ibadoghlu fled Azerbaijan in 2014, even while his mother was ill, after the country passed a law similar to that of the Foreign Agent Law in Georgia.
After spending years abroad, he was told it was safe to return. He did so last summer, planning to meet young democracy activists and finally see his ailing mother.
Instead, he was met with a violent arrest and refused vital medication for his diabetes and heart issues, it’s claimed.
Mr Bayramov told Metro.co.uk: ‘He’s going to live the rest of his life with the possibility of getting a heart attack. There has been a lot of support from his academic connections.
‘On the 250th day of his imprisonment, UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University sent a joint letter signed by professors at both universities.
‘On the same day, LSE, Oxford University and professors at other universities in the UK sent a letter to Lord Cameron demanding urgent action to get my father released.’
Mr Bayramov said Lord Cameron has yet to meet with him (Picture: Reuters)
Azerbaijani officials in the UK have not responded to request for comment (Picture: Getty)
Dr Ibadoghlu has since been moved to house arrest, but is unable to undergo any vital medical tests such as MRIs due to his ankle monitor, his son said.
His family believes the UK is hesitating from confronting Azerbaijani officials due to Europe’s reliance on energy from the country as it weans itself off of Russian oil.
In March, it was revealed BP is set to fully finance a solar project in Azerbaijan – which may explain the British government’s ‘hesitancy’ to meet regarding Dr Ibadoghlu’s imprisonment.
Mr Bayramov said since Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron took office, he has not been able to speak to him about his father’s imprisonment.
Bill Browder has campaigned to free other political prisoners like Dr Ibadoghlu, and told Metro.co.uk: ‘The persecution and torture of Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu by the Aliev …read more
Source:: Metro
