In a sweeping and increasingly authoritarian campaign, Azerbaijan has moved to expel UNICEF and several other international organizations from the country, raising alarms about the government’s commitment to human rights and transparency. UNICEF confirmed it will shut its Baku office in the coming months, joining a long list of humanitarian agencies forced out. According to UNICEFs regional office, their work will now continue only through distant regional hubs, significantly reducing their impact on the ground.

This follows Azerbaijan’s decision to close the offices of the UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, ICRC, and ICMPD, claiming without evidence that these agencies are no longer needed. Observers see this as part of a broader trend of silencing international oversight. [1]

Ethnic Cleansing in Artsakh and Armenian Hostages

These expulsions come in the aftermath of the September 2023 military offensive in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), where Azerbaijan launched a rapid attack, forcibly displacing over 100,000 ethnic Armenians in what many international experts and rights groups have labeled, an act of ethnic cleansing. The entire Armenian population fled the region, with their homes and cultural heritage now reportedly under threat or already destroyed.

Meanwhile, dozens of Armenians, including political leaders and former and current Artsakh officials have been taken hostage by Azerbaijani forces. Despite international appeals for their release, they remain imprisoned under vague or politically motivated charges, raising serious concerns over violations of international humanitarian law. [2][3]

Crackdown on Foreign Media and Civil Society

In addition to targeting humanitarian agencies, the Azerbaijani regime has turned its attention to the press. In early 2025, the government revoked Bloomberg’s local accreditation and previously banned the BBC, Voice of America, and Sputnik. Foreign journalists are now being systematically excluded or restricted, allowing the authorities to control the media narrative. [4]

Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan

At the same time, Azerbaijan’s domestic repression has escalated. Dozens of Azerbaijani journalists, opposition figures, and activists remain behind bars as political prisoners are often jailed on fabricated charges ranging from tax evasion to anti-state activities. International watchdogs, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have consistently condemned these arrests as part of President Ilham Aliyevs strategy to eliminate dissent and consolidate power. [5]

A Dangerous Slide Away from International Norms

Together, these developments point to a dangerous slide toward authoritarianism, isolation, and impunity. With international organizations forced out, journalists silenced, ethnic cleansing unpunished, and both Armenian hostages and Azerbaijani political prisoners languishing in detention, Azerbaijan is increasingly turning its back on democratic norms and human rights obligations.

Sources:

[1] https://eurasianet.org/unicef-closes-office-in-azerbaijan-as-baku-continues-ngo-crackdown

[2] https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/04/azerbaijan-ethnic-cleansing-karabakh

[3] https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/03/azerbaijan-armenians-detained-unfair-trials/

[4] https://rsf.org/en/azerbaijan-revokes-bloomberg-s-accreditation-tightens-grip-international-media

[5] https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024/country-chapters/azerbaijan