Public Activist Nicat Ibrahim Sentenced Amidst Claims of Political Retaliation

Nicat Ibrahim

Baku, Azerbaijan – Public activist Nicat Ibrahim has been sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in prison by the Baku Court of Grave Crimes. The verdict, delivered today by Judge Aygun Gurbanova, concludes a judicial investigation into charges of intentionally causing serious harm to health with a knife. Ibrahim, who has been imprisoned for 10 months, vehemently denies the charges, asserting he is being targeted for his past activism.

The case stems from an incident last September at a gas station in Baku, where Nicat Ibrahim was accused of stabbing Bahman Aliyev during a dispute. He was subsequently detained by the Nasimi District Police Department.

During the trial, the state prosecutor had initially sought a 9-year prison sentence for Ibrahim. The final judgment found him guilty under Article 126.2.4 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to intentionally causing serious harm to health in a generally dangerous manner with hooliganistic intent. However, the charge under Article 221.3, related to hooliganism committed with the use of an object as a weapon, was dismissed.

In his final statement to the court, Nicat Ibrahim maintained his complete innocence, stating he did not stab anyone and does not even know Bahman Aliyev. He claimed he was attacked and that the alleged victim threw himself to the ground to create the appearance of being stabbed, followed by an immediate and forceful detention by police.

Ibrahim explicitly stated that he believes the charges are an act of retaliation for his social media posts in 2020, which called for President Ilham Aliyev's resignation. "I don't understand what they want from me and my family," he expressed, adding, "They don't even let me leave the country. This much injustice is unacceptable. A few days ago, they burned down our house, and all our belongings turned to ashes." His lawyer, Zibeyda Sadygova, also requested an acquittal for her client.

This is not Nicat Ibrahim's first encounter with the law. In July 2020, he was arrested while attempting to hold a protest in front of the Presidential Administration demanding President Aliyev's resignation. He was subsequently sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison on charges of violating quarantine rules, a charge he also denied, claiming it was punishment for his protest intentions. Years prior, in 2017, he famously protested against police by sewing his mouth shut and going on a hunger strike.

Human rights defenders have recognized Nicat Ibrahim as a political prisoner, highlighting his case as part of a broader pattern. Several other socio-political activists in Azerbaijan have faced similar charges of injuring others with a knife, including former diplomat Emin Ibrahimov, Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (AXCP) members Zamin Salayev and Kenan Zeynalov, "Workers' Table" Confederation of Trade Unions chairman Afiaddin Mammadov, and "Yoldash Media" founder Ahmad Mammadli.

The sentencing of Nicat Ibrahim underscores ongoing concerns among human rights advocates regarding the treatment of activists in Azerbaijan, particularly those critical of the government.