S8 Ep35: Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu imprisoned in Azerbaijan

On today’s podcast, we are joined by Ibad Bayramov, and we discuss the imprisonment of his father, Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, in Azerbaijan. Dr Ibadoghlu is an economics professor who was a visiting professor at the London School of Economics and a leading figure in the opposition in Azerbaijan. In July 2023, he was arrested and held by Azerbaijan authorities while visiting family. He is facing up to 12 years in prison for the production, acquisition, or sale of counterfeit money by an organised group and allegedly possessing extremist material—charges he denies. Find out more about Dr Ibadoghlu at the Gubad Files Website: https://thegubadfiles.com/ You can connect with and follow Ibad here:  https://twitter.com/BayramovIbad Ibad’s sister Zhala is also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BayramovaZhala You can contact Politicians via the links below: Contact your Senator: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm Contact your MP: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/ You can read more on some of the topics Ibad mentions about the political situation in Azerbaijan Detention of Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/61412/detention-of-dr-gubad-ibadoghlu-in-azerbaijan https://www.bushcenter.org/publications/the-struggle-for-freedom-an-azerbaijani-economist-who-stands-up-to-aliyevs-kleptocracy Concerns about Dr Ibadoghlu’s health https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/14/health-of-lse-academic-detained-in-azerbaijan-at-risk-say-family US could do more to help Dr Ibadoghlu https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/08/11/united-states-must-do-more-help-gubad-ibadoghlu/ Doubt about the validity of Azerbaijan’s elections https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68237326 Caviar diplomacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caviar_diplomacy Pandora Papers https://www.rferl.org/a/pandora-papers-tax-havens/31490744.html https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/oct/03/queen-crown-estate-bought-property-family-azerbaijan-ruler Azerbaijani Laundromat https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/04/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-azerbaijani-laundromat Azerbaijan adopt harsh tactics against the opposition https://eurasianet.org/azerbaijani-government-adopts-still-harsher-tactics-against-opposition Human Rights report on Azerbaijan - Torture and Ill-Treatment in Detention https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2023/country-chapters/azerbaijan BP and Azerbijan https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/08/bp-projects-have-helped-fund-azerbaijan-military-aggession-say-campaigners UK Gov Risk Guidance on doing business in Azerbaijan https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/overseas-business-risk-azerbaijan/overseas-business-risk-azerbaijan Support Secrets and Spies: Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u   Subscribe to our Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com/ Connect with us on social media. BLUE SKY https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social TWITTER twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/secretsandspies INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/secretsandspies/ SPOUTIBLE   https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies