Activist Ahmed Mammadli is questioned in the Anti-Corruption Department

On January 23, political activist Ahmed Mammadli was summoned to the General Directorate for Combating Corruption under the Prosecutor General.

He was informed about the resumption of the investigation into the case of "forgery of documents," the activist told Turan.  This investigation against him was launched in the fall of 2022 after he served an administrative arrest for 30 days.

Mammadli was arrested in September 2022 after pacifist posts on social networks in connection with the military escalation on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia. "During my arrest, they offered me to stop pacifist and political activities, threatening me with problems, but I refused," the activist said.

During the arrest, a complaint was sent from the State Mobilization and Conscription Service to the Jalilabad district Prosecutor's Office about the alleged forgery of an activist's document on admission to a master's degree at a Turkish university.

According to the activist, it was a pre-admission document and in order to receive the final document, he had to travel to Turkey, register and make a payment. However, due to his arrest, he was unable to do so.

"I was interrogated twice by the prosecutor's office, and then the question remained open. Yesterday, I was suddenly summoned to the Main Anti-Corruption Department, saying that they were now in charge of this case. Today I was questioned as a witness, although I was told that I was considered a "suspect". They took handwriting samples, signatures, and said they would send them for examination," Mammadli said.

Mammadli believes that the "activation" of his case is related to his publications. The authorities continue to crack down on government critics.

It was not possible to get comments from the Office of the Prosecutor General's Office for Combating Corruption. Mammadli is known for participating in student protests. He was also the leader of the 1918 Democracy Movement, which ceased its activities in the fall of 2023.

Mammadli continues his political activities, publishing materials on politics and human rights in social networks and foreign academic publications.