Former MP arrested in Azerbaijan addresses the president
Ex-MP arrested in Azerbaijan speaks to president
Azerbaijani businessman and former MP Nazim Baidamirli, currently under arrest, has appealed to president Ilham Aliyev, requesting instructions to halt the criminal case against him. He is charged under Article 182.2.4 (extortion with the purpose of taking property in a significant amount) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
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He stated in his appeal that the case against him was fabricated and lacked any legal basis.
In his appeal, Baidamirli also highlights that his arrest, which occurred on July 4 last year, was grounded in a fabricated criminal case. He emphasized that two weeks prior to his arrest, he had been actively engaging with the media, granting interviews to both local and foreign representatives regarding the events in Soyudliu village.
During these interviews, Baidamirli encouraged local residents to remain calm, refrain from conflicts with law enforcement agencies, and cooperate with the State Commission.
However, shortly after the events, a targeted “black PR” campaign was initiated against him on websites and state television, labeling him as the “organizer” and “director” of the incidents. He stresses that his speeches were in the interests of the state and its people.
Nazim Baydamirli was detained on July 4, 2023. Following his detention, he contacted his lawyer and connected his arrest to the protests in the village of Soyudliu in the Gedabek district.
In response, the press service of the interior ministry stated that one citizen had filed a report with the police, alleging that Baidamirli had extorted 50 thousand manats from him.
Otherwise, the businessman threatened to distribute defamatory footage of the citizen. According to the complainant, on June 24 of this year, he had given AZN 10,000 [about $6,000] to the former deputy, but the threats persisted.
Nazim Baydamirli (Mammadov) was born in 1963 in Gedabek. From 2005 to 2010, he served as a deputy in the Azerbaijani parliament representing the Gedabek district.
Following the protests in Soyudliu village of the Gedabek district, he affirmed the validity of citizens’ claims regarding the detrimental effects on human health and the environment caused by the operations of a nearby gold mining enterprise.
On June 20, 2023, residents of Soyudliu village in the Gedabek district staged a protest, alleging that the nearby gold mining enterprise was causing environmental pollution. The police forcibly dispersed the protest, resulting in 10 injuries and five arrests.
