Vidadi Isgandarli, an Azerbaijani dissident, died on October 1 in France in what his family claim was an assassination ordered by the Azerbaijan dictatorship.

Isgandarli dies in a hospital in Mulhouse after being stabbed at his home on September 29 by unidentified individuals. He sustained 24 stab wounds in the attack. 

Despite the severity of the assault, French authorities have yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.The news of his death was confirmed by his brother, Ogtay Isgandarli, who spoke to the Voice of America Azerbaijani service.

According to Ogtay, doctors had invited the family to say their final goodbyes early on the morning of October 1, around 5am Paris time. "The family stayed with him for several hours. Vidadi passed away just before 10 am," he said.

A forensic examination is expected to take place over the next few days before his body is released to the family for burial.

Ogtay Isgandarli described his brother’s death as a tragedy for all who love their homeland.

"This is not just our family's tragedy. This is devastating news and a great loss for everyone who loves their country and people. Vidadi became a martyr in the fight for the freedom of the Azerbaijani people," he said.

This was not the first time Vidadi Isgandarli had been targeted. In June 2022, he was attacked by a group of armed assailants in the same city. At that time, police determined that the incident was related to local criminal gangs. However, Isgandarli believed that the order for the attack came from the Azerbaijani authorities. 

Isgandarli was well-known for his outspoken criticism of the Azerbaijani government, often sharing his opinions on social media. In 2011, he was arrested in Baku on charges of assault, hindering election rights, and interfering with the work of election commissions. He was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison but was released under a presidential pardon in December 2012. Denouncing the court ruling as a politically motivated decision, Isgandarli fled to France in 2015.

Ogtay Isgandarli said that his brother was attacked multiple times because of his activism and openly critical stance against the Azerbaijani government. After his first attack in France, Vidadi Isgandarli blamed the attack on the Azerbaijani authorities. Despite attempts to move him to a safer location, no action was taken. 

Azerbaijan dictator Ilham Aliyev has been cracking down on domestic opposition ahead of hosting the COP29 environmental summit next month. Freedom House called on countries participating in the  COP29 summit  to pressure Baku to end its assault on press freedom and to release all unjustly detained media workers.