“Məhsul” Stadium
The Baku Court of Grave Crimes found the former director of the "Məhsul" stadium, Alik Hasanov, and the chairman of the Azerbaijan Trade Union Sports Organizations, Nadir Aliyev, guilty in a high-profile fraud case. Hasanov was sentenced to seven years in prison, while Aliyev, considered the main perpetrator of the fraud, received a suspended sentence despite not compensating a single penny of the damages. Aliyev was released in the courtroom.
Hasanov and Aliyev were arrested in 2022 and charged under Articles 178.4 (fraud causing particularly large damages), 32.4, and 312.1-2 (incitement to bribery) of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code. The prosecution alleged that the two officials defrauded entrepreneurs involved in high-rise construction projects by falsely claiming that the stadium area was sold for 5.5 million manats. In reality, the entrepreneurs paid a total of 900,000 manats as bribes to both the beh and the leadership of the Confederation.
Aslan Ismayilov, the lawyer representing one of the victims, deemed the court’s decision unlawful. Speaking to Turan, Ismayilov asserted that during the investigation, Aliyev admitted to selling the stadium on the instructions of Sattar Mohbaliyev, chairman of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Azerbaijan, and distributing the proceeds accordingly. “The victims consistently stated that it was Sattar Mohbaliyev and Nadir Aliyev who orchestrated the sale of the stadiums. Alik Hasanov also confessed to selling the "Məhsul" Stadium under Aliyev’s instructions, acting on behalf of Mohbaliyev,” Ismayilov said.
Ismayilov highlighted that his petition to interrogate Mohbaliyev as a witness was denied, despite support from both victims and the accused. He claimed that during the trial, Aliyev accused him of coercing testimony against Mohbaliyev, describing it as “outright slander.” Elchin Rustamov, another victim represented by Ismayilov, reportedly suffered losses amounting to approximately $1 million, which remain uncompensated.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the verdict, Ismayilov announced his intention to appeal the court's decision. Attempts to obtain a statement from Mohbaliyev or his legal representatives regarding the case were unsuccessful.
The case underscores ongoing concerns about corruption and governance within Azerbaijan’s sports and trade union sectors.
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