Anar Mammadli's defense pointed out violations in the case to the court.

The defense stated that the existence of a previous conviction, which has not yet been overturned despite the ECHR ruling, was cited as an aggravating circumstance in the case of Azerbaijani human rights activist Anar Mammadli.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on September 22, a hearing was held at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, where Anar Mammadli, head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (EMDSC), delivered a defense speech. He pointed out to the court the political nature of his criminal prosecution and compared it to the practice of Soviet repression. The court refused to release journalist Anar Abdullah, who is accused in the same case.

Persecution of Human Rights Defenders and Civil Activists in Azerbaijan

The Baku Court of Grave Crimes held another court hearing in the case of Anar Mammadli and Anar Abdulla, Meydan reported on its website on November 18. TV.

At the hearing, Mammadli's lawyer, Javad Javadov, filed a motion to obtain a number of documents from the authorized representative of the Azerbaijani government to the ECHR. He explained that these materials contain information that calls into question both the legal and factual validity of the charges brought against Mammadli.

According to Javadov, although the ECHR found Anar Mammadli's previous criminal prosecution unlawful in 2018, that conviction has still not been overturned, and it is this status of the conviction that is being used as an aggravating circumstance in the new criminal case.

Anar Abdulla answered questions from the state prosecutor at the hearing. The next court hearing is scheduled for witness questioning, according to the publication.

As a reminder, in May, Anar Mammadli was charged with new charges: illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering, tax evasion as part of an organized group, and document forgery. The case has been sent to court, and the defense maintains Mammadli's innocence. On July 1, the court refused to transfer Mammadli to house arrest and exclude evidence obtained from his phone and computer from the case.

Why Abzas Media Displeased the Azerbaijani Authorities

Seven Employees Abzas Media online publications 1 were sentenced in June to prison terms ranging from 7.5 to 9 years. They denied the charges in court, emphasizing that they were being persecuted for their professional activities and for investigating corruption cases. On September 9, the appeals court upheld the sentence.

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