Another AXCP Member Charged Shortly After Administrative Detention

Rahil Guliyev

On June 7, Rahil Guliyev, a member of the Garadagh district branch of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (AXCP), was detained by the Garadagh District Police Department and informed that a criminal case has been opened against him.

Rahil Guliyev had just been released after serving a 30-day administrative detention sentence, imposed on May 6 for undisclosed administrative offences. He is the younger brother of Elnur Guliyev—who serves as the public bodyguard for AXCP chairperson Ali Karimli—who himself was detained for 30 days on April 9 under administrative charges.

According to AXCP’s June 8 statement, no further details have been provided regarding the specific charges against Rahil Guliyev, and official bodies have yet to comment on the case.

Rahil Guliyev is the second AXCP activist to face criminal charges immediately after administrative detention. On May 29, Zaur Rzali—Ali Karimli’s volunteer driver—was summoned to the Narimanov District Police Department and notified of charges under Article 228.5 of the Criminal Code (illegal acquisition, sale, or carrying of gas and cold weapons). Although released pending investigation, a travel ban was imposed on him.

In the same period, eight of Karimli’s volunteers—serving as bodyguards or drivers—have been targeted:

Novruz Taghiyev, a former bodyguard, was charged under fraud provisions and remanded for four months on May 20.

Rashad Aliyev, another volunteer driver, received 25 days of administrative detention on May 2.

On May 5, Asam Ali (driver) and his bodyguard Kenan Ismayil were each sentenced to 30 days of administrative detention.

Niyamaddin Ahmadov, a former bodyguard, was sentenced in 2021 to 13 years’ imprisonment on charges of financing terrorism—charges he denies.

Kenan Basqal, another bodyguard, was arrested in March 2025 on a stabbing accusation, which he also rejects.

Currently, around 15 AXCP members are serving long-term sentences of varying lengths and on diverse charges, which the party condemns as politically motivated.

Moreover, local human rights organizations estimate there are over 360 political prisoners in Azerbaijan; the government disputes these figures, asserting that all those detained have been lawfully prosecuted for their actions.

This pattern—administrative detentions swiftly followed by criminal prosecutions—appears aimed at suppressing independent political activism within AXCP. By targeting Karimli’s closest associates, authorities not only sideline the party’s leadership but also signal a broader intolerance for organized dissent. Observers warn that such measures may further erode civic space and discourage volunteer engagement in political movements.

Monitoring the progress of the criminal case against Rahil Guliyev once formal charges and court documents become available.

Whether foreign governments and rights bodies will call for transparent investigations into alleged politically driven prosecutions.

How the party will reorganize its volunteer base amid escalating legal pressures and maintain its operations.