A trade union activist faces a ban on leaving Azerbaijan.

Police in Baku detained trade union activist Sara Rahimova and issued a travel ban, citing her status as a suspect in a criminal case. After her release, Rahimova linked the criminal prosecution to her public activities.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Sara Rahimova is a board member of the alternative Trade Union Confederation "Workers' Platform." Despite the arrests of trade union activists, the Workers' Platform continues its activities, Ragimova told the Caucasian Knot in October 2024.

On February 21, Sara Rahimova was detained by security forces when she went to pick up a foreign passport, said Tural Farzili, a board member of the "Working Platform" Trade Union Confederation.

"She was informed that a criminal case had been opened against her and that she was banned from leaving the country. After that, police detained her, and she is now being taken to the station. Sara was told that a criminal case would be opened against her in 2024," Meydan TV quoted him as saying.

Later, Sara Rahimova was released, and she confirmed to the publication that a criminal case had been opened against her and that she was banned from leaving the country. The activist reported that she was first taken to Police Station No. 22.

"There, it turned out that the case was related to the Sabail District Police Department. Later, officers from the Sabail District Police Department arrived and took me into their custody. The department told me that a criminal case had been opened against me in 2024, I was put on the wanted list, and I was banned from leaving the country," said Sara Ragimova.

I assume this is related to my public activities.

According to Ragimova, she was not informed of the details of the criminal case. "I was told that the investigator handling my case was currently away and would contact me on Monday [February 23]. "It should be noted that, to date, I have not been summoned to the Sabail District Police Department or invited for questioning in any criminal case, either as a witness or as a defendant. In fact, I have not been informed of any criminal case against me. I live in Baku and have left and returned several times. I was told I was wanted and that an investigation was underway. "There are cameras everywhere in Baku, and I am freely moving around the city. I assume this [criminal case] is related to my public activities," she is quoted as saying.

As a reminder, Elvin Mustafayev, a member of the Alternative Trade Union Confederation, was sentenced to three years in prison in January 2024 after being found guilty of drug trafficking. The Supreme Court of Azerbaijan upheld the verdict.

Mustafayev was arrested in Azerbaijan on August 4, 2023. He rejected the charges, claiming that drugs were planted on him by security forces. Along with other arrested members of the same organization, Afiyaddin Mammadov and Aykhan Israfilov, Elvin Mustafayev has been recognized by human rights activists as a political prisoner.

The number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reached its highest level in 23 years of the country's membership in the Council of Europe in 2024, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Key Points about the Record Number of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan". At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.