Bakhruz Samedov Protests Closed-Door Appeal Hearing

Bakhruz Samedov

August 7, 2025

The appeal hearing for Bakhruz Samedov, a doctoral student at Charles University in the Czech Republic who was convicted of treason in Azerbaijan, will be held entirely in a closed session.

This decision was made on August 6 by Judge Elmar Ragimov of the Baku Court of Appeal, as he opened the preliminary hearing for Samedov's appeal.

Following the ruling, friends of Samedov, civil society representatives, employees from the U.S. and French embassies, and the researcher's 80-year-old grandmother—his only relative—were all removed from the courtroom.

Samedov and his lawyer protested the judge's decision, arguing that while the substantive hearing of the appeal could be closed, the preliminary hearing and the announcement of the court's decision should be open to the public.

The preliminary hearing was postponed until August 13 because the prosecutor had not yet had a chance to review the case materials.

29-year-old Bakhruz Samedov was arrested in Azerbaijan on August 21, 2024, and charged with treason. According to the investigation, he wrote and translated articles at the behest of representatives from Armenia. The charges are based on correspondence between Samedov and three women from Armenia. Samedov has vehemently denied the treason charges. He is known for his criticism of Azerbaijani authorities, which he has published in foreign media. The defense believes that his "anti-war views" were the real reason for his arrest.

On June 23, the Baku Court on Grave Crimes sentenced him to 15 years in prison.