Appeals Court keeps Anar Mammadli in custody

On August 28, the Baku Appeals Court reviewed the complaint filed by Anar Mammadli, the head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (EMDS), according to sources close to the activist. The complaint was against the decision of the Khatai District Court of Baku from August 22, which extended Mammadli's pretrial detention for an additional 3 months, until November 27. The defense argued that there was no need to keep Mammadli in custody during the investigation. Mammadli himself linked his arrest to his public and human rights activities. However, the Appeals Court did not uphold the complaint.

Mammadli was arrested at the end of April this year in connection with the “Abzas Media” case. Subsequently, his case was separated into a distinct proceeding.

He is accused of smuggling foreign currency. Human rights organizations have recognized Mammadli as a political prisoner. The United States and the European Union have expressed concern about the persecution of Mammadli, and numerous international human rights groups have called for his release.