Recently Prosecutor General’s Office for Investigation of Grave Crimes lifted ban on several journalists’ and political activists’ leaving Azerbaijan.
On 14 April, the ban was lifted for Ilgar Mammadov, the chairman of the Real Party, and for the journalist Aynur Elgunesh on May 1. On May 3, nearly 10 journalists gathered in front of the building of the Prosecutor General’s Office for Investigation of Grave Crimes in order to demand the removal of their travel ban, which was applied to them since 2015. The name of four of them – Izolda Aghayeva, Salima Jalilova, Natig Javadli and Rasim Garaja, who took part in the rally on May 6, were withdrawn from the list.
In the EMDS’s Assessment Report on politically motivated travel bans issued on February 2019, the number of activists who are banned from leaving the country was 30. Since that date, a total of six people’s travel ban has been lifted, and another 2 people were added to the list of people prohibited from leaving the country. At present, the number of people subjected to travel ban is 26.
| № | Name | Profession | Organization | |
| 1. | Shahvalad Namazov | Freelance journalist | ||
| 2. | Khadija Ismayilova | Freelance journalist | ||
| 3. | Babak Bakir | Freelance journalist | ||
| 4. | Sevinj Abbasova | Freelance journalist | ||
| 5. | Aytan Alakbarova | Freelance journalist | ||
| 6. | Aynura Heydarova | Freelance journalist | ||
| 7. | Aytaj Ahmadova | Freelance journalist | ||
| 8. | Elnur Mukhtar | Freelance journalist | ||
| 9. | Shirin Abbasov | Freelance journalist | ||
| 10. | Tural Asadov | Journalist | “Report.az” news website | |
| 11. | Aziz Orujov | Journalist | “Kanal 13” internet TV | |
| 12. | Mustafa Hajibayli | Journalist | “Basta.info” news website | |
| 13. | Anar Mammadov | Journalist | “Criminal.az” news website | |
| 14. | Intigam Aliyev | Human Rights Defender | Legal Education Society | |
| 15. | Asabali Mustafayev | Human Rights Defender | Democracy and Human Rights Resource Centre | |
| 16. | Annaghı Hajibayli | Human Rights Defender | Azerbaijan Lawyers’ Association | |
| 17. | Emin Aslan | Freelance human Rights lawyer | ||
| 18. | Ali Karimli | Politician | Azerbaijan Popular Front Party | |
| 19. | Azar Gasimli | Politician | Republican Alternative Party | |
| 20. | Ayaz Maharramli | Politician | Azerbaijan Popular Front Party | |
| 21. | Elshan Tahmazov | Politician | Azerbaijan Popular Front Party | |
| 22. | Akram Aylisli | Writer-novelist | ||
| 23. | Leyla Aliyeva | Political Analyst | National and International Research Centre | |
| 24. | Fatima Movlamli | Journalist | Objective TV | |
| 25. | Vugar Ali | Education manager | Code Academy | |
| 26. | Abulfaz Sadigov | Politician | Chairman of Musavat Youth Organisation | |
