The Court of Appeal rejected Bakhtiyar Hajiyev`s appeal for the extension of the arrest

Baku/06.07.23/Turan: Today, the Baku Court of Appeal dismissed a complaint against the extension of the arrest of human rights defender and public activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev for another month – until July 28,  a lawyer Agyl Laidj told Turan. He noted that the defense will send an additional complaint to the European Court of Human Rights in the Hajiyev case.

*Bakhtiar Hajiyev was arrested on December 9 last year on charges of hooliganism and contempt of court. On the same day, the Khatai District Court sentenced him to 1 month and 20 days in prison.

On January 9, 2023, the Court of Appeal refused his release and he resumed his hunger strike. On January 21, the court extended the term of his arrest for a month, and on February 23 – for another two months - on April 28.

February 28 - on the 51st day of the hunger strike, Hajiyev stopped his hunger strike.

Representatives of the US State Department, the US Senate, the European Union, the Council of Europe and a number of international NGOs have repeatedly demanded Hajiyev's release from prison.

On June 16, he was charged with new charges of illegal entrepreneurship, legalization of proceeds from crime, falsification of documents and smuggling.

The new charges brought against Azerbaijani activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev are related to receiving grants from a European human rights organization, the Institute for Freedom and Security of Reporters said. The organization expressed fears that Hajiyev's case will become a precedent, after which a wave of persecution of other activists and human rights defenders on similar charges may begin. ---16B06---