Azerbaijani Court Fines Ali Kerimli (updated)

On Monday, the trial  in the case of Ali Kerimli, leader of the Azerbaijani opposition party the National Front Party,  completed at the Nasimi District Court in Baku. The case stemmed from a lawsuit filed by a former member of the party, Aydin Aliyev. In the final speech, the private prosecutor demanded a six-month prison sentence for Kerimli. The defense insisted on an acquittal.

The court found Kerimli guilty under Article 147.1 of the Criminal Code (libel) and sentenced him to a fine of 1,500 manats (approximately $900 USD). "This sentence is unfounded, illegal, and unjust. There were no signs of libel in Ali Kerimli's statements. His words were general and evaluative in nature. The court should not have even taken up this case," said Kerimli's lawyer, Fahraddin Mehdiyev, in a statement to the Turan news agency.

He also pointed out that there are precedents from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding similar cases in Azerbaijan, where the Strasbourg court ruled that such sentences violate freedom of expression. The defense team intends to file an appeal.

Kerimli himself called the court's verdict a "fabricated decision" with no legal basis. "The Azerbaijani authorities have been working on this trumped-up case for four months, but neither the Azerbaijani nor the international community takes it seriously. Everyone understands that the authorities are simply trying to imprison their political opponent on absurd charges," Kerimli said. "My opinion about Aydin Aliyev is the truth and in no way insults his honor or dignity," Kerimli added.

Former APNF member Aydin Aliyev had filed a lawsuit against Kerimli, accusing him of libel under Article 147.1 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code. He claimed that Kerimli's comment, which said the court had annulled the decisions of the PNF congress after Aydin Aliyev's complaint, was defamatory.

Specifically, Kerimli had stated: "Aydin Aliyev, who was expelled from the National Front Party for deviating from the party's political course and cooperating with the authorities, was forcibly reinstated as the head of the Audit and Revision Commission by a court decision. Based on his complaint, the Nasimi District Court on July 5, 2024, invalidated the decisions of the party congress from June 24, 2023, which were approved by 287 votes in favor and one against."

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Six opposition activists detained before court session on Ali Kerimli's case

Police blocked access to the Nasimi court building outside the trial of Ali Kerimli, leader of the Party of People's Front of Azerbaijan (PPFA), on Monday. Using force, the police detained six activists of the PPFA. Among them: National Council member Vidadi Mirkamal, as well as Mammad Ibrahim, Gulnara Rahimova, Ruslan Amirov, Elchin Hajivelli and Rovshan Safarov.

Seymur, the Party's deputy chairman, told Turan that police have blocked the vast area around the courthouse and are pushing back anyone who tries to get closer.

The Interior Ministry doesn't comment on the detention reason.