[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 398 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 398

 Condemning the treatment of Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu by the Government of 
              Azerbaijan and urging his immediate release.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 17 (legislative day, September 16), 2025

 Mr. Tillis (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Fetterman, and 
 Mr. Kaine) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning the treatment of Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu by the Government of 
              Azerbaijan and urging his immediate release.

Whereas recent diplomatic progress in peace accords between Armenia and 
        Azerbaijan has raised hopes for a more stable and prosperous future in 
        the South Caucasus;
Whereas that progress presents an important opportunity for Azerbaijan to 
        strengthen its global partnerships and demonstrate its commitment to 
        international norms;
Whereas that progress cannot be fully realized while wrongful detentions and 
        human rights violations persist in Azerbaijan;
Whereas Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu, a respected academic and economist, and his wife, 
        Irada Bayramova, were arrested by Azerbaijani authorities on July 23, 
        2023, and severely beaten while in police custody;
Whereas Dr. Ibadoghlu was dubiously accused of multiple criminal acts without 
        evidence, imprisoned in extremely poor conditions, and denied adequate 
        medical care, resulting in significant health deterioration;
Whereas, although transferred to house arrest on April 22, 2024, Dr. Ibadoghlu 
        has been denied a trial date, left in legal limbo, and subjected to 
        repeated violations of due process and access to counsel;
Whereas the Department of State, the United States Embassy in Baku, leading 
        academic institutions, Members of Congress, and respected international 
        organizations have all expressed deep concern and called for the 
        immediate release of Dr. Ibadoghlu;
Whereas the Government of Azerbaijan's continued practice of wrongful detention, 
        including cases such as those of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, Avaz Zeynalli, 
        Ulviyya Guliyeva, Farid Mehralizada, and Elchin Sadigov, undermines the 
        credibility of its commitments to peace and partnership with the 
        community of democracies; and
Whereas Azerbaijan has sought to highlight its international engagement and 
        prestige through events such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix and other 
        global forums, but those efforts are fundamentally at odds with the 
        continued detention of political prisoners and the denial of basic 
        humanitarian standards: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commends the progress made in peace negotiations 
        between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and expresses hope that such 
        progress will lead to lasting peace and greater international 
        engagement;
            (2) condemns--
                    (A) the treatment of Dr. Ibadoghlu and other 
                political prisoners by the Government of Azerbaijan;
                    (B) the Government of Azerbaijan's practice of 
                wrongful detention; and
                    (C) the suppression of academic freedom and 
                peaceful expression;
            (3) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of 
        political prisoners in Azerbaijan, including Dr. Ibadoghlu, and 
        specifically urges his release in advance of Azerbaijan's 
        hosting of international events such as the Formula 1 Grand 
        Prix, further underscoring that until such release occurs, the 
        United States cannot treat those events as positive 
        opportunities for partnership and will instead continue to 
        highlight in such forums the persistence of wrongful detentions 
        and human rights concerns; and
            (4) urges all responsible officials and agencies of the 
        United States Government, including the Department of State, 
        the Department of the Treasury, and other relevant entities, to 
        make Dr. Ibadoghlu's well-being and release a priority in all 
        engagements with the Government of Azerbaijan, reinforcing that 
        genuine peace must be accompanied by respect for human rights 
        and academic freedom.
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