Former Diplomat Claims Political Motivation Behind His Persecution

On November 26, the Baku Court of Appeals heard a complaint regarding the extension of the detention of former diplomat Emin Ibrahimov. During the hearing, the investigator requested that the complaint be rejected, while Ibrahimov's lawyer, Aghil Laidj, pointed out the lack of grounds for keeping Ibrahimov in custody.

The defense argued that surveillance footage from the scene of the incident showed that Ibrahimov did not stab anyone or commit any crime. Ibrahimov himself stated that he had been arrested on false charges in order to punish him for his criticism of "Russian imperialism with the goal of restoring colonial dominance over Azerbaijan."

In his view, "Azerbaijani authoritarianism and Russian imperialism act in concert. They want to destroy all the seeds of democracy in the region and cement dictatorship here. Today, Azerbaijani authoritarianism is the main pillar of Russian imperialism in the Caucasus. Russia is the main supporter of the corrupt regime in Azerbaijan."

He further claimed that to disguise this policy, a "troll army" is used to create the appearance of "successful foreign policy." "Anyone who speaks the truth is subjected to repression," Ibrahimov said. The court, however, rejected his appeal.

Emin Ibrahimov was detained on July 22. He faces charges under Articles 126.2.4 (intentional infliction of serious harm to health with hooligan motives) and 221 (hooliganism) of the Azerbaijani Penal Code, which carry a sentence of up to 11 years in prison.

On July 24, the court ordered his detention for 4 months. Ibrahimov believes the true reason for his arrest is his criticism of the authorities. On November 19, the court extended his detention for an additional 2 months.

Emin Ibrahimov previously served in Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2012 to 2016, he was the second secretary at the Azerbaijani Embassy in the U.S., and from 2016 to 2020, he served as the chargé d'affaires at the Azerbaijani Embassy in Uruguay. He later left the diplomatic service due to disagreements with the government's policies. Since then, he has criticized the authorities on social media.