Systematic Legal Harassment of AXCP Chairman Ali Karimli and His Inner Circle

IHR
Jun 1
6 min read

Lead / IntroductionOver the past year, Azerbaijan’s Popular Front Party (AXCP) chairman, Ali Karimli, has faced a series of escalating defamation charges and fines—while multiple volunteer drivers, bodyguards, and party activists have simultaneously been arrested, detained, or charged under administrative and criminal laws. Between August 2024 and May 2025, this sustained pattern of legal actions signals a coordinated effort to stifle political dissent and pressure the opposition.

I. Background

Ali Karimli is one of Azerbaijan’s most prominent opposition figures. He was first prosecuted in September 1994—then deputy chairman of the Popular Front—when authorities claimed to find explosives in his possession, though he was released shortly afterward. In 2006, Karimli was denied a new foreign passport due to that old case; a 2015 European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling deemed this refusal a violation of his freedom of movement and awarded him €8,600 in compensation. Nonetheless, Baku has ignored the ECHR decision ever since.

In 2019, Aydın Aliyev—then chairman of AXCP’s Control and Inspection Commission—was expelled from the party for “collaborating with the authorities.” A court briefly reinstated him, but he was expelled again during the June 24, 2023 party congress. Since then, Aliyev has launched multiple lawsuits against the party and its leader.

II. Defamation Charges Against Ali Karimli (August 2024 – February 2025)

August 13, 2024: Preliminary Hearing

At a preliminary hearing in Nasimi District Court under Judge Babek Panahov, Aydın Aliyev filed a private criminal complaint accusing Ali Karimli of defamation under Criminal Code Article 147.1. Aliyev claimed that Karimli “spoke about me on various platforms between 2023 and 2024, attracting over 74,000 views,” alleging that Karimli branded him “a man of the regime” and accused him of betraying party ideals. If convicted, Karimli faced a fine or up to six months’ imprisonment.

Karimli and his lawyer Fakhraddin Mehdiyev argued the complaint was “baseless” and did not meet procedural requirements. Karimli described the process as “another fabrication by the regime’s repression machinery,” stating, “No criminal charge, threat of arrest, or even actual imprisonment will stop our fight for freedom and justice.” The hearing was postponed to August 19 because Aliyev’s complaint allegedly failed to comply with procedural rules.

Ahead of the hearing, MEP Isabel Santos urged the European Union to act to prevent Karimli’s politically biased prosecution. European diplomats—including Britain’s Fergus Auld and EU Ambassador Peter Michalko—met Karimli to discuss the case, the broader climate of political repression, and Azerbaijan’s international relations.

September 12, 2024: Complaint Accepted; Fined 1,500 Manats

At the third preparatory hearing—again before Judge Panahov—Nasimi District Court ruled that Aliyev’s complaint satisfied the requirements and accepted it for trial. The court affirmed a first-instance decision to fine Karimli 1,500 manats. Aliyev’s lawyer claimed Karimli’s speeches constituted defamation because Karimli allegedly accused him of “collaborating with the regime” and “betraying AXCP ideals.”

Karimli denounced the decision as “the execution of a political order” orchestrated by President Ilham Aliyev. He declared he expected no fair ruling, viewing the entire process as a political show trial. The next hearing was scheduled for September 19, 2024.

Under Criminal Code Article 147.1, defamation carries a maximum fine of 500 manats, 240–480 hours of community service, up to one year of corrective labor, or six months’ imprisonment.

February 6, 2025: Appeal DeniedKarimli appealed to the Baku Court of Appeal (Judge Faiq Ganiyev presiding). On February 6, 2025, the appellate court rejected Karimli’s appeal, upholding the 1,500 manat fine imposed by the Nasimi District Court. With this decision, Karimli must pay 1,500 manats, cementing the state’s crackdown on his public statements. Karimli labeled the outcome “politically motivated” and called on Azerbaijani authorities to respect ECHR rulings, which the government continues to disregard.

III. Administrative Repression of AXCP Members (December 2024)

On December 2, 2024, during Ali Karimli’s trial, dozens of AXCP members gathered outside the Nasimi District Court. Police detained twelve activists, charging them under Administrative Code Article 510 (“minor hooliganism”) and Article 535.1 (“disobedience to lawful police orders”).

Sentences Issued:
- Rovshan Asvarov: 15 days administrative detention.
- Mikayil Ismayilov: 30 days administrative detention.
- Elchin Hajiyevalli, Rovshan Rahimov, Elchin Nurushov, Rovshan Safarov: Each fined 200 manats.

Reports of Torture and Abuse

Rovshan Rahimov told journalists authorities retained his phone and demanded its password.
Rovshan Safarov reported being tortured, showing visible bruises under his eye; he said bodyguard Ruslan Amirov also suffered torture.
Three activists—Hajiyevalli (Goranboy branch chair), Asvarov (Agdash branch), and Ismayilov (Goychay branch)—were brought before Nasimi District Court; their fates remained pending.

Ruslan Amirov, Elmaddin Muradov, and Fuad Abdullayev—initially detained at Police Station No. 20 in Nasimi—were ultimately released that same day. AXCP member Gulnara Rahimova said police “used force,” tore off one of her fingernails, and inflicted multiple injuries. The Ministry of Internal Affairs provided no comment.

IV. Criminal Cases Against Drivers and Bodyguards (April 2025 – May 2025)

April 1, 2025:

Zaur Rzali, Ali Karimli’s volunteer driver, was arrested on charges of “resisting police” and held for 30 days.

May 5, 2025:

Asam Ali, who had driven Karimli to events, and Kenan Ismayil (bodyguard) each received 30 days of administrative detention.

May 20, 2025:

Novruz Taghiyev (former bodyguard) charged under Criminal Code Article fraud; ordered to four months’ pretrial detention.
Rashad Aliyev (volunteer driver) received 25 days administrative detention.

May 29, 2025:

Zaur Rzali summoned to Narimanov District Police Department: a criminal case under Article 228.5 (illegal possession of gas weapon, cold weapon, or cold firearm) was opened against him. Released with a travel ban
- On Facebook, Rzali said the case was politically motivated: “I am relatively free for now, but know this—no repression can divert us from our path.”

Earlier Bodyguard Cases:

2021: Niyameddin Ahmadov (bodyguard) convicted of financing terrorism; sentenced to 13 years, denies charges.
March 2025: Kenan Basgal (bodyguard) arrested on stabbing charges; denies charges.

In sum, at least five of Karimli’s closest associates faced criminal or administrative actions between April and May 2025. Outside of Karimli himself, AZCP reports that some fifteen party members and sympathizers are serving long-term sentences for various charges.

V. Reactions and Analysis

Ali Karimli’s Perspective:

Karimli maintains that all charges—defamation, administrative violations, and weapons offenses—are politically motivated attempts to silence him and dismantle the AXCP’s operational capacity. He has repeatedly called the judiciary a “tool of repression” and accused President Ilham Aliyev of orchestrating each legal action. Despite a 2015 ECHR ruling deeming his passport denial unlawful, Karimli still lacks a foreign passport. He sees the continuing prosecutions as evidence that “no façade of legality can mask the regime’s intolerance for dissent.”

APFP Statements:

The party blames President Ilham Aliyev directly for directing the judicial harassment campaign. Their official communications emphasize that when courts consistently uphold fines, detain volunteers, and allow police brutality with impunity, it signals a broader crackdown on independent political voices.

International Response:

European Court of Human Rights (2015): Found that Azerbaijan violated Karimli’s right to freedom of movement by refusing a passport; awarded him compensation. Baku has not complied.
European Parliament (2024): MEP Isabel Santos urged the EU to take concrete steps to prevent Karimli’s defamation trial from proceeding.
Diplomatic Engagements: Ambassadors from the United Kingdom, member states of the European Union, and others have met with Karimli in Baku to discuss concerns about fair trial standards, political prisoners (including Tofiq Yagublu), and the environment for multiparty politics. Yet no discernible policy shift has occurred.

Wider Implications:

The coordinated legal burdens on Karimli’s network—extending from his own defamation trial to the arrests of drivers and bodyguards—demonstrate a multi-pronged strategy to weaken the AXCP’s organizational backbone. By targeting both party leadership and grassroots operatives, the authorities reduce opposition morale, deter campaign activities, and instill fear among potential supporters. The pattern reveals how overlapping administrative and criminal statutes (e.g., hooliganism, resisting police, illegal weapon possession) can be marshaled to justify arrests even when underlying political motivation is evident.

VI. Conclusion

As of June 1, 2025, AXCP chairman Ali Karimli remains liable for a 1,500 manat defamation fine following the February 2025 appellate ruling. He has not served any prison time but continues to be subject to legal uncertainty and scrutiny. His volunteer driver, Zaur Rzali, faces a criminal trial under weapons charges and is barred from travel. Other drivers and bodyguards—Asam Ali, Kenan Ismayil, Rashad Aliyev, Novruz Taghiyev, Kenan Basgal—have all confronted administrative or criminal detentions in recent months. Inside the party, roughly fifteen AXCP members remain incarcerated on various charges since late 2024.

This sustained pattern of prosecutions against Ali Karimli and his inner circle underscores a broader political strategy to suppress the AZCP and chill independent political activity. Despite international concerns—embodied in ECHR decisions and EU diplomatic interventions—Azerbaijani authorities show no sign of loosening their grip. For now, the AXCP’s capacity to organize, campaign, or hold public demonstrations remains severely constrained by an expanding web of legal actions driven by political objectives.