A Baku court sentenced blogger Allahverdiyev to prison in absentia.

Azerbaijani blogger Vagif Allahverdiyev, who resides in the United States, was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison in Baku. He was found guilty of inciting unrest and openly calling for action against the state.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," in March 2025, six political emigrants were charged in absentia in Baku with criminal offenses. The following were summoned for questioning in Baku: Gurban Mammadov, head of the Azerfredoom YouTube channel; Tural Sadigli, head of the Azad Soz YouTube channel; bloggers Muhammad Mirzali, Elshad Mammadov, and Gabil Mammadov; and Ilgar Hajiyev, entrepreneur and former head of the large Azerbaijani company Akkord.

On January 20, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes announced the verdict in absentia for US-based blogger Vagif Allahverdiyev.

A court employee told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that Allahverdiyev was found guilty under Article 220.2 ("Calls for active disobedience to the lawful demands of government officials and for mass riots") and 281.2 (Public calls directed against the state, committed repeatedly) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan and was sentenced in absentia to 8 years' imprisonment.

According to the case materials, Allahverdiyev, while living in the US state of California in March-May 2017, "prepared five separate video messages" in which he called on Azerbaijani citizens to "actions that could lead to a violation of public order, peace and security, paralyze the activities of state bodies and incite the use of force against the legally formed and functioning government of Azerbaijan."

Allahverdiyev's case is part of a wider campaign of persecution of critics of the Azerbaijani government abroad, noted an Azerbaijani legal expert.

"Since the spring of 2025, criminal cases have been opened against approximately 25 Azerbaijani journalists, bloggers, activists, and politicians in exile in Europe and the United States. These cases are virtually identical in nature and are based essentially on identical charges of inciting violence and unrest against the state. The authorities appear to have launched a campaign against critics abroad. Moreover, everyone is subject to criminal prosecution, regardless of their popularity. For example, Vagif Allahverdiyev, who was convicted yesterday, has only 10,000 subscribers on his YouTube page, Victor Alexander. His videos are infrequent and barely receive hundreds of views, while other journalists and bloggers critical of the Azerbaijani government have 400,000-800,000 subscribers." "It seems that lesser-known bloggers are also being prosecuted to create the impression that cases against regime critics in exile are not politically motivated and that law enforcement agencies are acting solely to protect the rule of law," said a source who wished to remain anonymous to a Caucasian Knot correspondent. "Trials in absentia, public summonses to investigations and court hearings via television, threats of issuing international arrest warrants, and abuse of extradition request mechanisms are a form of pressure on government critics in exile, a means of intimidation, attempts to restrict their freedom of movement, and create risks to their travel," lawyer Samed Rahimli, also in exile, previously told a Caucasian Knot correspondent.