Namizad Safarov has been arrested for four months

The court sentenced Azerbaijani lawyer and human rights activist Namizad Safarov to four months in pretrial detention on fraud charges. Activists have alleged that the lawyer's prosecution is politically motivated.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot , lawyer and human rights activist Namizad Safarov, known for his active civic stance, was detained in Azerbaijan on December 9. Pro-government media have named Safarov as a fraud suspect. The "People's Parliament of Azerbaijan," established in 2024 by Azerbaijani political émigrés abroad, of which Safarov is a member, condemned his detention and called the case against him "political persecution."

On December 11, the Khatai District Court in Baku ordered Safarov to be remanded in custody for four months.

As a court employee told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, the lawyer was charged under Article 178.3.2 (fraud committed with causing damage on a large scale) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

According to the pro-government news agency APA, Safarov is accused of "embezzlement of 53,000 manats" (US$31,000). Specifically, citing investigative documents, the agency claims that Safarov, "posing as a lawyer," promised to reinstate a dismissed employee, but failed to do so, leading to a police complaint.

Representatives of the Azerbaijani opposition have questioned the veracity of the accusations.

"I have known Namizad Safarov for many years as a defender of ordinary people whose rights and freedoms are violated. The poor and disadvantaged turned to him for help when they had nowhere else to complain. He consulted them, defended them in court, when the law still allowed lawyers deprived of the status of an attorney to go to court cases. He is an honest, intelligent person, a champion of the truth. In the 1990s, when he was still a lawyer, he boldly took on political cases. Namizad Safarov has now been slandered, just as politicians and human rights activists Tofig Yagublu , Azer Gasimli and Rufat Safarov were previously arrested on trumped-up charges . It is absurd to accuse him of embezzling more than 50 thousand manats if this man provided legal assistance to the poor free of charge. The real reason for Safarov's arrest is his active civic position, his criticism of bureaucratic "arbitrariness, corruption, and violation of citizens' rights," the chairman of the National Council of Democratic Forces , Jamil Hasanli , told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent .

 Another activist , who wished to remain anonymous, also pointed out the “implausibility” of the accusation against Safarov.

"Namizad Safarov was one of the few government critics remaining in the country. He wasn't afraid to participate in the work of the 'People's Parliament,' most of whose members are in political exile abroad. I don't know what's written in his case, but the fact that a 70-year-old prominent lawyer is being placed under arrest while other preventive measures are in place indicates bias and political motivation," the activist said.

Representatives of the investigative body were unavailable for comment.

Information about the persecution of activists in the Caucasus regions is published by the "Caucasian Knot" on its " Persecution of Activists " page . The "Caucasian Knot" also prepared a report entitled " Persecution of Human Rights Defenders and Civil Activists in Azerbaijan ."