A prominent opposition figure in Azerbaijan, Gambar was blocked from contesting elections by Azerbaijani ruler Heydar Aliyev.

[1] Gambar was a close associate of independent Azerbaijan's first freely elected president Abulfaz Elchibey who was ousted in a military coup.

[citation needed] Human Rights Watch commented on the 2003 elections: Human Rights Watch research found that the government had heavily intervened in the elections campaign in favour of Prime Minister İlham Aliyev, son of the current President Heydar Aliyev.

[2] In his role as leader of Müsavat, Gambar has played a major part in spring 2011 demonstrations inspired by other protests throughout the Middle East.

[3] In early April, Ilkin Gambar, the opposition leader's son currently serving in the Azerbaijani Army, claimed on his Facebook page that he was being sent to the front lines in Azerbaijan's standoff with Armenia and that his father had been "warned" that this could be a result of his continuing involvement in protests.