Court Review: June 4–5, 2026

Court Proceedings Related to Corruption and State Authorities

1. On June 4, the trial concerning the fire at the Republican Perinatal Center that resulted in the deaths of seven newborns concluded at the Baku Court for Grave Crimes under the chairmanship of Judge Leyla Asgarova-Mammadova.

The verdict was announced during the hearing. According to the ruling, former head of the Perinatal Center Mehriban Abasquliyeva was sentenced to 7 years and 3 months in prison, Hamlet Mustafayev to 5 years and 8 months, and Elnur Ahmadli to 5 years and 2 months of imprisonment. All three were taken into custody in the courtroom.

The fire at the Republican Perinatal Center occurred in January 2024. A preliminary investigation was conducted by the Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office. Based on the evidence collected, the Center’s director M. Abasquliyeva, Head of the Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Department Hamlet Mustafayev, and Head of the Support Services Department Elnur Ahmadli were brought to criminal responsibility. They were charged under Articles 308.2 (abuse of official powers resulting in grave consequences) and 225.3 (violation of fire safety regulations resulting through negligence in the death of two or more persons) of the Criminal Code.

2. On June 4, judicial proceedings began at the Garadagh District Court under the chairmanship of Judge Shafa Dadashova in the criminal case against former Deputy Head of the Garadagh District Executive Authority Nadir Muradov and other former officials detained during an operation conducted at the district executive authority.

The indictment was formally presented to the defendants during the hearing.

The next hearing was scheduled for June 12.

The defendants were arrested in November 2025. They are accused of receiving bribes of various amounts from individuals in exchange for carrying out preliminary documentation procedures related to land plots in the Garadagh district and subsequently ensuring the state registration of ownership rights to those plots.

Nadir Muradov, Gafar Abdullayev, Rashad Nadirli, Isa Shamsaliyev, and Zulfuqar Mansurov have been charged under Articles 311.3.1, 311.3.2, and 311.3.3 of the Criminal Code (repeated acceptance of bribes, acceptance of large-scale bribes, and acceptance of bribes by a group acting in prior collusion).

3. On June 5, the trial concerning the shooting of a teacher at the “Idrak” Lyceum in Baku began at the Baku Court for Grave Crimes under the chairmanship of Judge Vugar Guliyev.

During the preliminary hearing, personal details of the defendant were verified.

Because neither the defendant’s lawyer nor the victim attended the hearing, the proceedings were postponed until June 17.

The incident occurred on February 6 at the private “Idrak” Lyceum located in Baku’s Binagadi District. A teacher was shot after a student opened fire with a firearm on school premises. The student suspected of committing the act was detained. He has been formally charged under Articles 29 and 120.2.2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (attempted murder committed with hooligan motives).

4. On June 5, prominent businessman Ruslan Eyyubov, who had been arrested last year in connection with a cigarette smuggling case involving goods worth 5 million manats, was released from custody.

According to media reports, he was placed under house arrest.

When changing the preventive measure, the court took into account health problems experienced by R. Eyyubov.

5. On June 5, a court hearing was held at the Baku Court for Grave Crimes under the chairmanship of Judge Huseyn Huseynli in the criminal case against Fariz Maharramov, one of the defendants in the 5 million manat cigarette smuggling case.

During the hearing, F. Maharramov stated that he did not wish to testify in court. Although he partially acknowledged his guilt, he denied guilt under Article 206.4 of the Criminal Code.

The defendant stated that he had no information about how the cigarettes had been brought into the country.

The next hearing has been scheduled for June 19 at 16:00.

According to the indictment, Fariz Maharramov is accused of participating in the smuggling of exceptionally large quantities of cigarettes into the country and organizing their sale within Azerbaijan.

He has been formally charged under Articles 206.4 (smuggling on an especially large scale) and 213-1.2.1 (illegal circulation of goods subject to excise marking without such markings, committed by an organized group on a large scale) of the Criminal Code.