Zabil Gahramanov: Azerbaijani lawyer to face trial on fraud charges

Zabil Gahramanov

The criminal investigation into prominent Azerbaijani defence lawyer Zabil Gahramanov has concluded, with prosecutors sending his case to court on fraud and hooliganism charges.

Mr Gahramanov, who has been held in pre-trial detention since October 2025, now faces four criminal charges, including abusing his office to commit fraud and resisting authority.

The case, which was initially opened by police in the western city of Ganja, was later transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Baku. The lawyer was subsequently moved from a detention facility in Ganja to the capital.

Mr Gahramanov and his legal team are currently reviewing the case files before the indictment is formally approved. On 16 May, the Sabail District Court in Baku extended his detention until 23 July 2026.

The extension was requested by Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General, Kamran Aliyev, marking the final extension permitted under Azerbaijani law during the pre-trial investigation phase.

The charges against the lawyer stem from two separate incidents alleged to have occurred on 23 October last year.

Prosecutors allege that Mr Gahramanov became involved in a dispute at a car wash in Ganja, injuring an employee, Fazil Isgandarov.

On the same day, a resident of the Shemkir region, Emin Ibrahimov, filed a complaint with the Ganja police, alleging that the lawyer had taken 5,600 Azerbaijani manats (£2,600) for legal services but failed to deliver the promised outcome.

Mr Gahramanov has strongly denied all the allegations, calling them baseless. He has claimed that both complainants were used by the authorities to punish him for his professional activities.

His defence team argued in court that there was "no basis" for keeping the lawyer in detention for over seven months.

Two weeks prior to his arrest, Mr Gahramanov had his licence suspended for six months by the Azerbaijani Bar Association, following a complaint by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

He is well known in Azerbaijan for representing defendants in several high-profile and politically sensitive cases.

His arrest has drawn concern from local and international human rights organisations.

The Rule of Law Institute of the International Association of Lawyers (UIA-IROL) issued a statement suggesting his detention may be directly linked to his legal work and his criticism of police misconduct.

The Azerbaijani government has denied the claims, stating that no one in the country is prosecuted or targeted because of their professional activities.