Trial of Anar Mammadli and Anar Abdullayev Continues Amid Political Prisoner Allegations

Anar Mammadli

The trial of Anar Mammadli, head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Education Center (SMDTM), who has been detained since April 29, 2024, began on May 26 at the Baku Serious Crimes Court. Alongside him, public activist Anar Abdullayev is also being prosecuted. The case is overseen by a panel of judges led by Aygun Gurbanova.

During the initial hearing, the court verified the personal details of the accused. Mammadli’s lawyer, Javad Javadov, successfully petitioned for his client to be allowed to sit beside the defense team instead of in a glass cage. Later, motions were filed by Mammadli’s lawyers requesting his release to house arrest and the dismissal of the criminal case. Abdullayev’s defense attorney also requested the case against him be terminated. However, the court rejected all such motions.

Mammadli’s other lawyer, Elchin Sadigov, asked for a postponement of the preparatory hearing to review case documents. The court rescheduled the next session to June 2.

Anar Abdullayev, who has not been detained, was formally named an accused at the conclusion of the investigation and placed under police supervision. He faces several charges, including illegal entrepreneurship, smuggling, tax evasion, and forgery of official documents.

Mammadli is charged primarily under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code, concerning smuggling committed by an organized group, with additional charges added later that carry penalties of up to 12 years in prison. Both defendants deny the accusations, asserting that the charges are politically motivated.

Anar Mammadli’s activism, notably his monitoring of elections and publication of reports critical of the electoral process in Azerbaijan, is cited by his defense as the true reason behind his prolonged detention. “He is a well-known public figure,” said lawyer Elchin Sadigov, “and in his view, the real reason for his detention is his election monitoring work.”

International and local human rights organizations have repeatedly recognized Mammadli as a political prisoner. He was previously imprisoned from late 2013 until early 2016 on charges including illegal entrepreneurship and tax evasion, which he also denied. At that time, several organizations documented his case as politically motivated, and he was released by a presidential pardon.

Since November 2023, Azerbaijani authorities have arrested more than 30 journalists and public activists on smuggling and related economic crime charges. Many have faced further aggravated accusations involving large-scale illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, and forgery. None of the detainees acknowledge the charges, maintaining that their arrests are politically ordered in retaliation for their professional work.

Current local human rights monitoring estimates that over 350 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Azerbaijan. Government officials, however, consistently deny that anyone is detained on political grounds or due to their professional activities.

The trial of Anar Mammadli and Anar Abdullayev will continue on June 2, as the court reviews the evidence and motions in this high-profile case that highlights ongoing tensions between civil society activists and the Azerbaijani government.