On September 13, the trial of public activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev continued at the Baku Serious Crimes Court. During the session, the testimonies of the five remaining witnesses, who had not appeared in court previously, were read out. Hajiyev once again accused the judges of deliberately delaying the trial and violating Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The court then began reviewing documents and started viewing a video recording of the incident between Hajiyev and the recognized victim, Ulviya Muradova (Alovlu), in the Yasamal District Court. The initial reason for Hajiyev’s arrest was this incident. The video review will continue at the next hearing on September 20.
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev was detained on December 9, 2022, following a complaint from journalist Ulviya Alovlu. He was initially charged under Articles 221 ("hooliganism") and 289 ("contempt of court") of the Criminal Code. In July 2023, charges were added under Articles 192 ("illegal entrepreneurship"), 193-1 ("money laundering"), and 206 ("smuggling") of the Criminal Code. On November 7, 2023, an additional charge under Article 213.1 of the Criminal Code (failure to pay taxes, unemployment insurance, and mandatory medical and social insurance contributions) was also brought against him.
Hajiyev denies all charges and claims that he is being persecuted for criticizing the authorities and calling for international sanctions against Azerbaijani officials and security forces involved in repression. Human rights advocates have recognized him as a political prisoner.
Politics
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The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OPHRD), a joint program of the World Organization against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), has called for the urgent release of activist Rufat Safarov from prison in Azerbaijan. It has launched a campaign in support of the Azerbaijani human rights defender. https://www.omct.org/en/resources/urgent-interventions/arbitrary-detention-and-judicial-harassment-against-rufat-safarov
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This year, the laureate of the annual Nargiz Prize, awarded for efforts in the fight for democracy, was Akif Gurbanov, chairman of the board of the Resplatforma (Platform of the III Republic) movement, who is under arrest.
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The U.S. will prohibit the issuing of visas for nearly a dozen more individuals responsible for undermining democracy in Georgia, bringing the total number to over 100, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
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The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has expressed condolences to the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, following the tragic incident in the city of Magdeburg. "We are deeply shocked by the news of the deaths and injuries resulting from the tragic incident that took place at the Christmas market in Magdeburg," the message reads.
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