Colleagues Point Out Political Motives in the Case Against Lawyer Z. Gahramanov

Zabil Gahramanov

On October 28, the Ganja Court of Appeal rejected the appeal against the arrest of lawyer Zabil Gahramanov, who is accused of hooliganism and fraud.

Gahramanov and his lawyers declared the accusations unfounded, pointing to the illegality of the criminal case and the Ganja City Court's decision to choose pre-trial detention as a measure of restraint. Gahramanov stated that his arrest was related to his professional legal work. He stressed that he was arrested for publicizing the arbitrariness against citizens detained by the Ganja police," a relative of Gahramanov said.

However, the Court of Appeal dismissed the complaint and kept the lawyer in custody.

Gahramanov's defender, lawyer Saadat Seyidli, reported severe violations of the lawyer's rights after his detention. "After his detention, Zabil Gahramanov's rights were severely violated. He was not allowed to contact his relatives or even a designated lawyer. He suffers from diabetes and was deprived of the opportunity to receive medication. Initially, Gahramanov was accused of hooliganism related to an incident in the Goygol district. We insisted that the Ganja Police lacked the territorial jurisdiction to conduct the investigation in this case. Zabil Gahramanov also pointed to the bias against him by the head of the Ganja police. But despite our protests, the Ganja prosecutor did not satisfy them and left the case under the consideration of the Ganja police. We filed a complaint against the Ganja prosecutor's decision to the Prosecutor General, but there has been no reaction yet," Seyidli told local journalists.

According to her, in order to justify the investigation being conducted by the Ganja police, Gahramanov was charged with fraud two days after his detention. She noted that this accusation is also "absurd." Specifically, Gahramanov is being incriminated for allegedly receiving money from a client and promising to resolve the matter positively for him, but failing to do so.

"Lawyers are free to enter into contracts with clients and receive remuneration for services. And according to the Law on the Bar and the service agreement, a lawyer has no obligation to make promises or guarantee a positive resolution of an issue in the client's favor. Therefore, the accusation against Gahramanov of 'making a promise and failing to fulfill it' is absolutely absurd. Especially since Gahramanov, being a professional and experienced lawyer, never gave such promises," Seyidli continued.

Lawyer Agil Laij considers this criminal case fabricated and politically motivated. "Zabil Gahramanov kicked the person who attacked him at the car wash in self-defense. A complaint was filed immediately, and he was detained two hours later," Laij said.

Another lawyer, Fariz Namazli, also believes that Gahramanov's case is "political." "Gahramanov's case should not be viewed as the arrest of a single, isolated lawyer. It clearly demonstrates the human rights situation in Azerbaijan and how lawyers operate under pressure. The arrest of Zabil Gahramanov is particularly noteworthy because the case is linked to the lawyer's independent stance, his professional activities, and his uncompromising position against the lawlessness of law enforcement agencies in the region where he works. Consequently, his arrest is clearly politically motivated," said lawyer Namazli.

He noted that over the past year, lawyers have already been "systematically restricted from publicly speaking, participating in politically motivated cases, and criticizing the activities of judicial and investigative bodies."

"The position of the leadership of the Bar Association and discussions in the Milli Majlis regarding the 'regulation' of lawyers' statements in the media clearly show that the goal is to control the voices of lawyers and suppress their critical opinions. In such circumstances, Zabil Gahramanov's arrest should be viewed not as a purely 'legal issue,' but as a dangerous precedent in the judicial and legal system. Prosecuting a lawyer solely for his professional activities and speaking out against lawlessness is a message to all lawyers," he added.

Gahramanov's arrest coincides with a period when about 30 independent journalists and civil society representatives have been arrested in Azerbaijan on various charges over the past two years, Namazli continued.

It should be noted that on October 10, a deputy from the ruling "New Azerbaijan" party stated in parliament that appeals by lawyers to the press are unacceptable. "The function of a lawyer is not to disseminate unreliable information... Azerbaijan is a rule-of-law state, and the supremacy of the law must be applied to everyone, regardless of their personality," stated Novruzov.