The defense announced an appeal against the sentence of Azerbaijani activist Asef Ahmedov.

The Ganja Appeal Court upheld the sentence of public activist Asef Ahmedov, who was sentenced to eight years in prison. The defense considers the decision unjust and intends to appeal it.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", the head of the Ganja Regional Community Center Asef Ahmedov and social issues expert Zamin Zaki were arrested in April 2025 on charges of economic crimes. The arrest of Ahmedov, Zaki, and other activists was related to the resumption of criminal proceedings against "a number of local and foreign NGOs," initiated back in 2014. In March, the court sentenced Zamin Zaki to 7.5 years in prison. On June 17, the court sentenced Ahmedov to 8 years in prison.

On September 1, the Ganja Appeal Court reviewed the appeal against the sentence of local activist Asef Ahmedov. The appellate instance upheld the verdict without change, reported to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" the activist's wife, Khalida Ahmedova. She called the appellate court's decision "unjust." According to her, the appellate court did not take into account the violations that occurred in the first instance court.

"The appellate court also did not consider the fact that for one of the charges, specifically under Article 313 (official forgery), the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution has expired. The appellate court, like the first instance court, did not even terminate the criminal prosecution under this article. I have been going to courts for Asef for a year and a half, but I have not seen fair justice," said Khalida Ahmedova.

According to her, the defense will file a cassation appeal to the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan regarding the court's decision.

An employee of the Ganja Appeal Court confirmed to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" that Asef Ahmedov's appeal was left unsatisfied.

Ahmedov, as the head of the Ganja Community Regional Center, engaged in educational activities and participated in the implementation of social projects, previously reported activist Abulfaz Gurbanly. Asef Ahmedov has been involved in public activities in the Ganja region for many years. He also served as the director of a secondary school in the village of Institute in the Samukh district. Ahmedov is known for his participation in local initiatives, social projects, and human rights activities. Before his arrest, he mainly focused on the development of local communities and social issues within NGO projects.