Prominent Azerbaijani opposition figure remains under arrest
Azerbaijani oppositionist remains under arrest
In Azerbaijan, the appellate court rejected the defense’s cassation and upheld the arrest of prominent opposition politician Tofig Yagublu. He has been in prison for 4 months and is set to spend another 2 months behind bars. Yagublu is charged with fraud and faces imprisonment for up to 12 years.
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On April 15, the Baku Court of Appeals heard the complaint regarding the extension of the detention period for Tofig Yagublu, a member of the opposition party “Musavat” and the National Council of Democratic Forces, for another two months.
According to lawyer Agil Layij, the defense requested the annulment of this decision.
The lawyer stated that there are no legal grounds not only for extending Yagublu’s detention, but also for bringing him to criminal responsibility and placing him in custody in the first place.
“Tofig Yagublu is accused of fraud, while he is a principled fighter against fraud and corruption. The charges against him are absurd. Unfortunately, the court did not uphold our appeal,” the lawyer said.
Tofig Yagublu was arrested on December 14, 2023. The next day, by decision of the court, he was remanded in custody for four months. He is charged under Articles 178.3.2 (fraud causing significant damage), 320.1 (forgery of official documents), and 320.2 (use of knowingly forged documents) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
On April 6, his pre-trial detention was extended for another 2 months.
As for the accusations, Yagublu allegedly promised someone to organize political emigration, and on December 8, they agreed on it. A criminal case for fraud was initiated on the 11th. The lawyer expressed doubt that the investigation could establish this so quickly.
A search was conducted at his house. According to the politician’s wife, Maya Yagublu, the police “found five thousand euros, 2500 manats [about $1500], and some dollars” in the house.
“I was really surprised, there was no penny in the house. Yesterday I borrowed 50 manats [about $30] from a neighbor to go to the doctor. They planted the money,” she said.
Yagublu denies all charges, linking the criminal case to his opposition activities.
According to the charges, the politician faces imprisonment for a term of 7 to 12 years.
Who is Tofig Yagublu?
Tofig Yagublu is known as a critic of the authorities; he has previously been subjected to physical violence, detained by the police, and convicted.
In March 2014, he was convicted of organizing mass riots in the city of Ismayilli. Yagublu was sentenced to five years in prison. The European Court of Human Rights found violations of Yagublu’s rights during his arrest and ordered Azerbaijan to pay the activist 24,000 euros. He was released on parole on March 17, 2016.
On October 19, 2019, Tofig Yagublu was arrested for 30 days after an opposition rally in Baku. After his release, he spoke about being beaten by law enforcement officers and threatened to stop opposition activities.
Following that, Tofig Yagublu was detained on March 22, 2020, in Baku on charges of hooliganism. According to the criminal case materials, he was involved in a car accident and assaulted a couple who were in another vehicle. On September 3 of the same year, he was sentenced to four years and three months in prison. On September 18, the Baku Court of Appeals changed the measure of restraint from arrest to house arrest on the 18th day of his hunger strike, which he declared while in pre-trial detention.
He was also detained on December 23, 2022, during a protest in central Baku demanding the release of activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev. By court decision, he was administratively arrested for 30 days. The court found Yagublu guilty of “petty hooliganism” and “failure to comply with police orders.”
On January 5, 2023, Tofig Yagublu declared a hunger strike. On January 22, he was released after serving a 30-day administrative arrest.
Azerbaijani oppositionist remains under arrest
