Azerbaijani Religious Activist Elgiz Mammadov Arrested on Drug Charges Amid Serious Torture Allegations

Elgiz Mammadov

Member of Muslim Unity Movement detained as family claims police fabricated evidence through forced drug administration

A prominent member of Azerbaijan's Muslim Unity Movement (MUM) has been arrested on drug charges, with his family alleging that police tortured him and forcibly administered narcotics to fabricate evidence against the religious activist.

Elgiz Mammadov was detained on June 10 in Baku's Keshla settlement and subsequently charged under Article 234.1.1 of Azerbaijan's Criminal Code for illegally obtaining, storing, preparing, and processing narcotic substances without intent to sell. On June 12, the Nizami District Court ordered his detention for four months as a preventive measure.

Serious Allegations of Police Misconduct

The case has drawn attention due to disturbing allegations from Mammadov's family about his treatment in police custody. According to his wife, who spoke to Toplum TV, Mammadov was tortured at the police station in an attempt to force him to accept the drug charges. When he refused, authorities allegedly added narcotics to his drinking water.

The Muslim Unity Movement has strongly denied that Mammadov is a drug user, claiming he has been framed. The organization released a statement suggesting this represents a pattern of police misconduct: "Usually, giving narcotics to believers who do not accept drug-related charges through water is not a new practice in police stations. Through this method, they create false evidence for the court with the expert examination's confirmation of narcotics in his blood."

Following his detention, Mammadov was hospitalized at Clinical Medical Center No. 1 on June 10, reportedly due to health complications from the alleged forced drug administration. The MUM statement noted that "Elgiz's health sensitivity resulted in a harsh reaction to the fake narcotic game."

History of Harassment

This is not Mammadov's first encounter with authorities. On May 20, 2022, he was detained outside the Baku Court of Grave Crimes during the trial proceedings of fellow MUM member Razi Humbatov. He received a 30-day administrative detention sentence and reportedly faced serious torture during that period.

According to previous reports, Mammadov was taken to unknown locations, beaten, and threatened with rape. Authorities allegedly filmed him and demanded he declare he would never appear at court proceedings again.

Broader Context of Religious Persecution

The arrest occurs against a backdrop of systematic detention of religious activists in Azerbaijan. The leadership of the Muslim Unity Movement has been imprisoned since the November 26, 2015 Nardaran events, with arrests continuing in subsequent years.

According to the most recent data from the Union for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan, updated on June 9, the country currently holds 375 people arrested for political motives. Significantly, 241 of these detainees are religious believers or activists, highlighting the disproportionate targeting of faith-based communities.

Current Status

Mammadov remains in detention facing the drug charges, which carry significant penalties under Azerbaijani law. The Muslim Unity Movement continues to maintain his innocence and has called attention to what it describes as a systematic pattern of evidence fabrication against religious activists who refuse to accept false charges.

The case underscores ongoing concerns about the treatment of religious minorities and political activists in Azerbaijan, where human rights organizations have documented numerous cases of arbitrary detention and torture of government critics and religious believers.