Bahruz Samadov, an Azerbaijani scholar and writer known for his criticism of the Azerbaijani government, has been detained in Baku on drug possession charges.

Samadov, a PhD candidate and professor at Charles University in Prague, was visiting his family in Baku when the incident occurred. According to his friends and colleagues, Samadov stopped responding to messages starting Wednesday afternoon.

Temporary tweet. We're worried about @bahruz_samad's whereabouts and safety. No contact with him since 17:00 (Balu time), and his last seen in Telegram is 19:27. If anyone can reach out to him, please make us aware of it.

— {Aykhan}{Zayedzadeh} (@aykhan_Z) August 21, 2024

On Thursday morning, his family confirmed that the police had detained Samadov around 4 p.m. on Wednesday and had searched his grandmother’s apartment, where he was staying. The police have not yet commented on the matter.

We contacted Bahruz Samadov's family, they said informed us that he was searched and arrested at his home yesterday evening. They said drugs were the reason for arrest. In Azerbaijan, this is a common pretext for political arrests.

— Samad Shikhi (@Samed_shixi) August 22, 2024

Many scholars and peace activists have condemned Samadov’s detention, accusing the Azerbaijani government of continuing to silence critical voices ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference COP29, which is scheduled to be held in Baku this November.

One of Azerbaijan’s brightest young scholars, Bahruz Samadov, has been arrested in Baku les than three months before #COP29. Bahruz has been a vital voice in debates and media commentary on peace. I hope he will be released asap @bahruz_samad

— Laurence Broers (@LaurenceBroers) August 22, 2024

Samadov's work has focused on authoritarianism and peace in the region, and he has been an outspoken critic of Azerbaijan’s foreign and domestic policies.