Saleh Rustamov Prevented from Leaving Azerbaijan

Saleh Rustamov

Saleh Rustamov, a Russian citizen who used to head the Gadabay District Executive Power (from 1992 to 1993), was stopped from leaving Azerbaijan. Rustamov, who has lived in Russia since 1997, went to Azerbaijan for his niece's funeral.

The travel ban was given at the airport, but border services didn't explain the reason for it. Rustamov's son, Sezgin Rustamov, shared this information on social media.

His lawyer, Bahruz Bayramov, verified the incident and said that appeals have been filed with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor General's Office to find out why this happened. Bayramov asked why the ban was in place, since Rustamov was released under a presidential pardon and is now involved in business, with no political work.

Rustamov was arrested in Azerbaijan on May 8, 2018, during a short visit. He was then charged with illegal business activity, money laundering, and illegally making funds legal by supposedly funding the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APF).

In February 2019, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes gave him a prison sentence of 7 years and 3 months. Rustamov has always denied the charges, saying that his arrest was politically driven and that he was tortured while in custody and pushed to testify against APCP Chairman Ali Karimli. In 2021, he did a 40-day hunger strike while in prison to speak out against his imprisonment. Local human rights groups considered him a political prisoner, but Azerbaijani officials disagreed.

Saleh Rustamov was freed from prison in May 2022 under a presidential pardon. He had visited Azerbaijan a few times before this recent event.