Court Arrests Namizad Safarov for 4 Months

Namizad Safarov

On December 11, the Khatai District Court in Baku chose arrest for a period of four months as a measure of restraint against lawyer and human rights activist Namizad Safarov.

The lawyer is charged under Article 178.3.2 (Fraud committed with infliction of damage in a large amount) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

According to the pro-government agency APA, Safarov is accused of "misappropriating 53 thousand manats" (31 thousand US dollars). In particular, citing investigative materials, the agency claims that Safarov, "who introduced himself as a lawyer," promised a dismissed citizen to reinstate him in his position but failed to do so, leading to a complaint being filed with the police.

Representatives of the Azerbaijani opposition questioned the credibility of the charge.

"I have known Namizad Safarov for many years as a defender of ordinary people whose rights and freedoms are violated. The poor and disadvantaged turned to him for help when they had nowhere else to complain. He advised them, defended them in courts, when the law still allowed lawyers, stripped of their advocate status, to handle court cases. He is an honest, smart person, a champion of truth. In the 1990s, when he was still an advocate, he boldly took on political cases. Namizad Safarov has now been slandered, just as politicians and human rights activists Tofig Yagublu, Azer Gasimli, and Rufat Safarov were previously arrested on fabricated charges. It is absurd to accuse him of misappropriating over 50 thousand manats if this person provided free legal aid to the poor. The true reason for Safarov's arrest is his active civic position, his criticism of official abuse, corruption, and the violation of citizens' rights," wrote Jamil Hasanli, Chairman of the National Council of Democratic Forces, on Facebook.

Namizad Safarov is known for his active civic position, public, and human rights activities.

He was engaged in advocacy since the early 1990s. However, in 2005, Safarov was excluded from the Collegium of Advocates and himself linked this decision to his criticism of the structure's leadership.

Safarov was actively involved in socio-political activities; in 2013, he participated in the creation of the National Council of Democratic Forces.

In 2024, Safarov became a member of the "Azerbaijani People's Parliament," created by political emigrants abroad.