Court Review: June 22–24, 2026

Court proceedings involving politicians, civil society representatives and journalists

1. On June 22, the court hearing in the “Toplum TV case,” which was scheduled to take place at the Baku Court on Grave Crimes under the chairmanship of Judge Azer Taghiyev, was postponed.

The defendants said they had not been familiarized with the text of the state prosecutor’s speech.

Akif Gurbanov, head of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives and speaker of the Third Republic Platform, said the defendants had the right to familiarize themselves with the prosecutor’s speech in order to build their defense.

The judge said there was no need for this under procedural rules. Later, the hearing was postponed after a dispute arose between the judge and Gurbanov.

The next hearing was scheduled for June 29.

2. Fuad Huseynov, head of the “Regionxeber” website, has been arrested.

According to available information, he is accused of extortion by threat.

By court decision, a preventive measure in the form of arrest was chosen against Huseynov.

Court proceedings related to corruption and state bodies

1. On June 22, the Sumgayit Court on Grave Crimes delivered a verdict against Markaz Huseynov, director of the secondary school in Amirallar village of Khojavend district.

He was accused of embezzling a total of 71,301 manats by 2023.

According to the indictment, the school director kept the salary cards of teachers who did not come to work, cashed out the money paid to them and took it for himself. After that, Huseynov also embezzled funds paid to teachers involved in home education.

Huseynov was charged under Articles 178.3.2 and 313 of the Criminal Code: large-scale embezzlement and official forgery.

The court found him guilty under the mentioned articles. The dismissed director was given a suspended sentence with a probation period.

2. On June 22, the Nasimi District Court completed proceedings in another criminal case involving Elsun Ahmadov, a former judge of the Barda District Court who is under arrest on charges of taking a bribe.

According to the verdict, Elsun Ahmadov was sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison.

Elsun Ahmadov was charged under Article 178.2.2 of the Criminal Code: fraud committed repeatedly.

3. On June 22, the Baku Court on Grave Crimes held a hearing under the chairmanship of Judge Elnur Nuriyev in the criminal case of Vali Rahimov, former head of the Financial and Technical Support Department of the Chamber of Auditors of Azerbaijan, financier-accountant Govhar Ahmadova and auditor Farida Novruzova.

At the hearing, the lawyers of the defendants spoke. The lawyer for defendant Farida Novruzova asked the court to take into account that his client had paid 6,000 manats of the damage caused and that she was five months pregnant.

The next hearing was scheduled for July 6.

Vali Rahimov, former head of the Financial Support and Foreign Relations Department of the Chamber of Auditors, Govhar Ahmadova, financier-accountant of that department, and Farida Novruzova, accountant of the Financial and Organizational-Technical Support Department, are charged under Articles 179.4, 308.2 and 313 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan: embezzlement or misappropriation, abuse of official powers, and official forgery.

The Chamber of Auditors of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been recognized as the injured party in the criminal case.

The defendants are accused of cashing out and embezzling a total of 717,311 manats.

4. On June 22, the Baku Court on Grave Crimes announced a verdict in a criminal case concerning the smuggling into Azerbaijan of a large quantity of unregistered medicines and other goods.

According to the indictment, citizens of Azerbaijan and Turkey, acting by prior agreement, attempted to illegally bring into the country medicines, medical supplies, cosmetics and other products that had not passed state registration.

According to the case materials, the total value of the goods that were attempted to be smuggled from Turkey into Azerbaijan was 131,636 manats and 80 qapiks.

The court found two defendants guilty under Articles 200-1.2.2, 200-1.2.3 and 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code.

According to the verdict, the Azerbaijani citizen was sentenced to imprisonment under the mentioned articles. However, taking into account that he was being held criminally liable for the first time, sincerely repented, was the only breadwinner in the family and other mitigating circumstances, Article 70 of the Criminal Code was applied and it was decided that the sentence would be served conditionally.

With regard to the Turkish citizen, the court applied Article 62 of the Criminal Code and imposed a lighter sentence than provided for by law. He was fined 4,000 manats under Articles 200-1.2.2 and 200-1.2.3, and 7,000 manats under Article 206.3.2. The final sentence for the aggregate of crimes was initially set at 11,000 manats, but taking into account that he had been held in custody for 2 days, the fine was reduced to 10,000 manats under Article 69.4 of the Criminal Code.

Trial of separatists

1. On June 23, the Baku Court of Appeal continued the hearing of appeals filed by citizens of Armenia Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan and others.

At the court hearing, chaired by Judge Elmar Rahimov with the participation of judges Emin Mehdiyev and Mehriban Garayeva, the floor was given to defendant Levon Mnatsakanyan to continue his defense speech. He continued the defense speech he had begun at the court hearing held a week earlier and expressed his views. Mnatsakanyan asked the court to take into account the video material presented by the prosecution and the facts it referred to when making a decision. He stated that he did not plead guilty to the charges brought against him.

Then the lawyer defending the rights of defendant Erik Ghazaryan spoke. The lawyer said that his client had filed an appeal and supported that appeal. Erik Ghazaryan, who spoke afterward, said he did not consider himself guilty and confirmed the position voiced by his defense lawyer.

Then the lawyer for defendant Garik Martirosyan spoke and said it was necessary to reduce the severity of the charges brought against his client.

His other defense lawyer also asked in his speech that Martirosyan’s sentence be mitigated and that some articles be removed from the indictment.

The lawyer for defendant Levon Balayan asked the court to acquit his client.

Defendant Levon Balayan said he agreed with his lawyer’s speech.

The lawyer defending the rights of defendant Gurgen Stepanyan asked the court to annul the guilty verdict against him and issue an acquittal. Gurgen Stepanyan said he agreed with his lawyer’s speech and noted that he did not plead guilty.

The next court hearing will be held on June 30.

According to the verdict of the Baku Military Court dated February 5, 2026, Arayik Harutyunyan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, David Manukyan, Davit Ishkhanyan and David Babayan were sentenced to life imprisonment. Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan were sentenced to 20 years in prison, Madat Babayan and Melikset Pashayan to 19 years, Garik Martirosyan to 18 years, Davit Allahverdyan and Levon Balayan to 16 years, and Vasili Beglaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan and Erik Ghazaryan to 15 years in prison.

They were found guilty of crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including the preparation and conduct of aggressive war, genocide, violation of the laws and customs of war, terrorism, financing terrorism, forcible seizure of power and numerous other crimes as a result of Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan.