Preliminary investigation into activist Nijat Ibrahim's case is over

The preliminary investigation into the case of activist Nijat Ibrahim has been finalised, and in the coming days it will be submitted to the Baku Court of Grave Crimes for consideration, the defendant's lawyer Zibeyda Sadygova said.

Ibrahim does not accept the charges, considering the criminal case fabricated, she said.

Note that Parvin Ibrahim, the activist's wife, also believes her husband is being persecuted on false charges. ‘Nijat has repeatedly said that the charges are fabricated, there is no evidence to support them. There were many cameras at the scene and a review of their footage revealed what happened.

In fact, Nijad was attacked and police showed up immediately afterwards. But the footage from the cameras at the petrol station where everything happened was not requested and attached to the case,’ his wife told Turan news agency.

She said her husband had repeatedly tried to commit suicide to protest against his unjustified arrest. The first time he cut himself in police custody. Then he cut his throat and face in the pre-trial detention centre.

‘The other day in the SIZO, Nijad connected himself to electricity when his hands and feet were in water. He was rescued. However, he was left with burns on his hands and chest,’ the wife said.

According to her, after the cuts, Nijat still has clots in the blood in his throat, there are sharp pains in the ears and chest area, and high blood pressure persists.

*On 6 September at the Baku airport border guards did not let Nijat Ibrahim out of the country, referring to the ban of the Interior Ministry. However, his wife and two minor children were allowed on the plane. After that, he appealed to the Interior Ministry, demanding the cancellation of the illegal ban, and threatened to burn himself in front of the Interior Ministry building.

On 9 September he was detained and charged with intentional infliction of serious damage to health. On 11 December the charges were toughened to Article 126.2.4 (intentional infliction of serious harm to health, by generally dangerous means, out of hooliganism).

He was also charged under Article 221.3 (hooliganism committed with the use of weapons or objects used as weapons) of the Criminal Code. Under these Articles, he faces up to 11 years' imprisonment.

** Ibrahim was already arrested once in 2021 and sentenced to 15 months in prison on charges of violating the quarantine regime. The reason for the arrest was his solitary picket in front of the Presidential Administration.