Azerbaijan activist Samira Gasimli charged with libel in 'political' case

Samira Gasimli

A court in Azerbaijan has named political activist Samira Gasimli as an accused person in a criminal libel case she claims is politically motivated.

Binagadi District Court in Baku made the ruling on Tuesday, following a complaint by Gurbanali Yusibov, the key witness in her husband's separate criminal trial.

Mr Yusibov filed the private prosecution in April, alleging Mrs Gasimli defamed and insulted him on Facebook, and made statements threatening his safety.

Mrs Gasimli and her defence team have questioned the validity of the prosecution, pointing out that Mr Yusibov has failed to attend any court hearings since the process began.

"Someone who wants to protect their honour and dignity has failed to attend multiple hearings since April," Mrs Gasimli told the court.

An attorney representing Mr Yusibov told the court that his client is currently working in Turkey, but was fully aware of the complaint.

Defence lawyers Aqil Layic and Ramil Suleymanov argued that under the Azerbaijani criminal procedure code, an accuser's persistent absence without a valid reason should lead to the case being dismissed.

They asked the court to either terminate the proceedings or order Mr Yusibov to be brought to court by force.

The defence also argued that the complaint failed to meet basic legal requirements and should have been returned to the plaintiff for correction. Judge Samir Nasibov rejected all defence motions and formally declared Mrs Gasimli an accused person.

Mrs Gasimli denies the charges and claims the prosecution is a targeted campaign by the Azerbaijani authorities.

"I am being targeted because I defend the rights of my husband and other political prisoners," she said. "What is happening shows that a new show is beginning."

Mrs Gasimli's husband, Azer Gasimli, is the director of the Institute for Political Management and a prominent opposition figure. He has been in detention since December 2024.

Mr Gasimli was sentenced to 12 years in prison on extortion charges, following a complaint by the same individual, Mr Yusibov. He also denies the charges, describing them as a political order and maintaining that he is the actual victim in the dispute.

The conflict between Mr Gasimli and Mr Yusibov began as a financial disagreement involving a cryptocurrency investment on the Binance platform.

Mr Gasimli claimed that Mr Yusibov had failed to deposit his funds, resulting in a loss of $20,000 (£15,400). A civil court in Mingachevir initially ordered Mr Yusibov to pay the sum, but the decision was later overturned on appeal.