'Azerbaijani authorities will resort to violence' – activists comment on criminal cases against exiled bloggers
The danger for Azerbaijani bloggers in exile
Exiled Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli and lawyer Samed Ragimli see the criminal cases opened in Azerbaijan against several exiled bloggers as a serious threat.
On March 18, Azerbaijan’s General Prosecutor’s Office accused Gabil Mammadov, Elshad Mammadov, Magomed Mirzali, and Gurban Mammadov of inciting terrorism, attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, seizing power, and organizing mass unrest. They were summoned for questioning in Baku.
Gabil Mammadov called the charges fabricated, noting that he had previously won a related case in Germany’s Supreme Court. He claimed that the renewed accusations were a way for Azerbaijan’s government to test Germany’s new chancellor after the elections.
Azerbaijani MP Elman Nasirov stated on March 21 that he was confident the bloggers would be extradited, arguing that terrorism charges pose a threat to Europe as well.
Afgan Mukhtarli responded by recalling that Nasirov had made similar statements before his own abduction in 2017.
“The lives of Azerbaijani political exiles—bloggers and others—are in danger, as the Azerbaijani authorities will stop at nothing in their hunt for opponents,” Mukhtarli told JAMnews.
Mukhtarli, a strong critic of Azerbaijan’s government, fled to Georgia in 2014. In May 2017, he was kidnapped in central Tbilisi, blindfolded, and taken to Azerbaijan, where he was sentenced to six years for illegal border crossing, smuggling, and disobedience. However, in March 2020, he was suddenly released and flown to Germany, where his wife and child had been living since 2019.
MP Nasirov: “These bloggers will inevitably be brought to Azerbaijan; it’s only a matter of time”
Member of the Human Rights Committee of the Milli Majlis, Elman Nasirov, in an interview with Pravda.az: “International anti-Azerbaijani circles, especially Armenia and pro-Armenian political forces, spread false and slanderous information.
They use various methods, one of which is recruiting individuals who are formally Azerbaijani but, in essence, enemies of this nation and state. They become such for the ‘rewards’ they receive.
These people are fundamentally aligned with Armenia. That is why the Azerbaijani state has a firm and principled stance against them, making it necessary to bring them to criminal responsibility.
These bloggers rely on the law enforcement agencies of the countries where they currently reside. Gabil Mammadov trusts the German authorities, while Muhammad Mirzali believes that France, where he now lives, will not extradite him to Azerbaijan due to strained relations between the two countries.
But they are mistaken. They will inevitably be brought to Azerbaijan; it is only a matter of time. Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies are working toward this.
For example, Gabil Mammadov faces 24 criminal charges, including incitement to terrorism, which is considered a highly dangerous crime even in Europe.
Law enforcement agencies in Germany, France, and other countries where these migrants reside will undoubtedly take note of this, as terrorism is a crime against humanity everywhere.”
Journalist Mukhtarli: “Azerbaijan has the ability to hire criminals anywhere in the world”
Journalist Afgan Mukhtarli: “MP Elman Nasirov claimed that I was brought to Azerbaijan as part of joint cooperation between Georgian and Azerbaijani special services, although he later denied it.
I can say with full confidence that the governments of Germany and France, where most Azerbaijani exiles live, will not cooperate with Azerbaijani authorities on this matter, as they are well aware of the nature of the Azerbaijani government.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly requested the German government to extradite Gabil Mammadov. As a result, an investigation was conducted, and the court ruled in Mammadov’s favor. The Azerbaijani authorities’ claims were completely rejected.”
“I know that the Azerbaijani authorities have carried out special operations against opponents and critics of President Ilham Aliyev abroad. They kidnapped me, journalist Rauf Mirgadirov in 2015, and others. They commit murders.
The most recent case was the killing of human rights activist Vidadi Iskanderli in France in October 2024.
In 2021 alone, political activist Bayram Mammadov mysteriously died in Turkey, Vugar Rza just as mysteriously in Belgium, and Huseyn Bakhikhanov was killed in Tbilisi.
Given all this, the lives of Azerbaijani political exiles, bloggers, and others are in danger.
Ilham Aliyev’s regime controls billions stolen from the people, funds that are unaccounted for. With this money, Azerbaijani authorities can bribe criminals anywhere in the world and do whatever they want.
We saw an example of this in the 2022 assassination attempt on Muhammad Mirzali in France.
Kidnapping, murder—Ilham Aliyev can carry out any of these actions against his opponents.”
Lawyer Ragimli: “The Azerbaijani authorities want to silence criticism from exiled opponents”
Azerbaijani lawyer Samed Ragimli, who also lives in exile, told Toplum TV about the possible consequences bloggers may face if they do not travel to Baku and appear for questioning in April, as demanded by Azerbaijan’s investigative committee.
Lawyer Samed Ragimli: “According to legal procedure, the next step could be issuing an international arrest warrant, either through Interpol or under the Council of Europe’s extradition convention.
However, if these individuals have refugee status in their country of residence, such measures cannot force their return to Azerbaijan.
The government has dismantled civil society within the country and is now taking steps to end the activities of political activists in exile.
This is a continuation of the repressions that have been actively enforced since 2023. Right now, they are targeting the active opposition and civil society, but over time, the scope of these repressions may expand.”
The specific charges against the four bloggers are as follows
● Elshad Mammedov is accused of openly calling for the violent seizure and retention of power in Azerbaijan, as well as for the violent change of the constitutional order between April 2021 and May 2022, as part of a group that had previously conspired.
● Mohammad Mirzali is accused of openly calling, in early 2018, for mass unrest aimed at the violent seizure of power, as well as for demonstrations involving violence.
● Gurban Mammedov is accused of publicly calling, as part of a group that had previously conspired, for mass unrest aimed at the violent seizure of power in Azerbaijan on various platforms on April 19, June 8, June 15, and August 7, 2019, as well as for actively disobeying the lawful demands of authorities, accompanied by violence.
● Gabil Mammedov is accused of deceiving 10 individuals between 2015 and 2017 under the pretense of helping them secure government jobs and providing them with pensions and social benefits, collecting 29,597 manats (about $17,000) from them, as well as openly calling for terrorism through his social media accounts.
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