23:40, 7 January 2026

The Supreme Court upheld the ruling in the assassination attempt on Fazil Mustafa.

The Supreme Court of Azerbaijan rejected the cassation appeal of Rashad Akhmedov, accused of the assassination attempt on MP Fazil Mustafa, and upheld the appellate court's sentence of 19 years in prison.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, in December 2023, the case of the assassination attempt on MP Fazil Mustafa was transferred to the Baku Court of Grave Crimes. The State Security Service classified the attack as a terrorist act. Five people were charged: Azer Sarijanov (also referred to in the media as Saryjanov), Emin Aliyarov, Rashad Akhmedov, Elshad Askerov, and Sabuhi Shirinov. The defendants rejected the investigation's claim that they acted on instructions from Iranian intelligence services. They attributed their actions to Mustafa's "offensive statements" on religious topics. On August 13, 2024, the court sentenced Saridzhanov to life imprisonment, Shirinov to 20 years in prison, Akhmedov to 19 years in prison, Askerov to 18 years, and Aliyarov to four years. Subsequently, both the accused and the injured party filed appeals, but the Baku Court of Appeal dismissed their appeals.

A cassation hearing was held for Rashad Akhmadov, one of the defendants in the attempted murder of MP Fazil Mustafa, Ozu.az reported today.

Fazil Mustafa was shot at in Baku on March 28, 2023, and was taken to the hospital with injuries. The suspects were detained several days later. According to investigators, the organizer of the attack was Azer Sarijanov, who received instructions from Iranian intelligence services, and the perpetrator was Sabuhi Shirinov. Two other individuals, Elshad Askerov and Emin Aliyarov, are believed by security forces to have helped Sarijanov organize the attack.

The Supreme Court, at a hearing chaired by Judge Ilgar Jafarov, decided to dismiss the cassation appeal and upheld the decision of the Baku Court of Appeal.

Based on the fact, the Main Investigation Department of the State Security Service opened a criminal case under Article 277 (attempt on the life of a statesman or public figure), Article 228.2.1 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, or carrying of firearms, their components, or ammunition by a group of persons by prior conspiracy), and other articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The "Caucasian Knot" also reported that in March 2025, the State Security Service of Azerbaijan charged on charges of attempting to assassinate the Azerbaijani MP.

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/419741