AzerbaijanAzerbaijani economist Gubad Ibadoghlu allowed to leave Azerbaijan for medical treatment in GermanyIbadoghlu was arrested in July 2023. (Updated: 8 days ago )• 2 min readShare▲Gubad Ibadoghlu. Photo via Voice of America.Azerbaijani economist and scholar Gubad Ibadoghlu has left Azerbaijan for Germany to undergo medical examinations and treatment. Ibadoghlu was detained by Azerbaijan in 2023 on what his family and defence maintain were politically motivated charges. He was released into house arrest in 2024. Ibadoghlu’s daughter, Jala Bayramova, told OC Media that her father’s condition will be known after he undergoes medical examinations in Germany. While he was allowed to leave the country for treatment, the criminal case against him remains ongoing. He had previously been reported to need urgent medical treatment in Germany. Ibadoghlu was arrested in July 2023, as part of an investigation by Azerbaijani authorities into alleged followers of Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen. He was initially charged with producing, acquiring or distributing counterfeit money or securities as part of an organised group. He was later charged with producing, possessing or distributing religious extremist materials. In April 2024, Ibadoghlu was transferred to house arrest after his health deteriorated sharply. Qubad Ibadoghlu is an Azerbaijani economist, academic, and opposition figure. He is the founder and chair of the Azerbaijan Democracy and Prosperity Party (ADR) and has worked as an economist and researcher at several international academic institutions. He has also been involved in research on economic development, governance and transparency. Prior to his arrest, Ibadoghlu lived and worked in London, where he was a Senior Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics. In mid-September, Ibadoghlu’s brother, economist Galib Bayramov, was sentenced to eight years in prison after being found guilty in Azerbaijan’s so-called ‘NGO case’, with the sentence suspended for three years. Their brother, Vugar Bayramov, is an Azerbaijani MP. Rafiq Shahbazov is a journalist based in Tbilisi, covering political and social developments in Azerbaijan, as well as issues affecting ethnic Azerbaijanis in the region. He has worked with independent media outlets. His work focuses on human rights, environmental issues, and pressure on journalists and civil society.