Date of Birth: 26 June 1979
Detained Since: 19 September 2023
Affiliation: Civic activist; known as a close associate and defender of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev

Charges:

• Large-scale fraud (Art. 178.3.2 of the Criminal Code)

Conviction and Sentence:

On 9 January 2025, Rail Abbasov was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months’ imprisonment by the Baku Assize Court.

Political Prisoner Status:

His detention meets criteria (a) and (e) of PACE Resolution 1900 (2012):

• (a) Violation of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of association, liberty, and the right to a fair trial under the European Convention on Human Rights.

• (e) Politically motivated prosecution, aimed at punishing him for his civic activism and his public defense of a detained government critic.

Summary:

Rail Abbasov is an Azerbaijani civic activist who became known for publicly supporting and defending detained activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev. Before his arrest, he had already come under pressure from authorities, including questioning and a search of his home in June 2023 in connection with his activism.

He was detained on 19 September 2023 and charged with large-scale fraud based on allegations that he received AZN 200,000 from a complainant in connection with a purported apartment transaction. Abbasov denied the accusation from the outset, stating that no money was exchanged and that the case had been fabricated in retaliation for his activism.

On 9 January 2025, he was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months’ imprisonment. The conviction relied primarily on the complainant’s testimony, supporting witness statements, video footage, and call-location data. However, key aspects of the case remained unverified, including the central dispute over whether any money had actually been transferred.

Throughout the proceedings, Abbasov maintained that the bag he received contained chocolates rather than cash and pointed to inconsistencies in the prosecution’s version. Despite this, the authorities failed to investigate potentially exculpatory evidence, and the courts accepted the prosecution’s narrative without applying heightened scrutiny.

His case forms part of a broader pattern of repression in Azerbaijan targeting civic activists and individuals associated with outspoken government critics. International observers, including Human Rights Watch, have described such prosecutions as politically motivated and aimed at suppressing dissent and solidarity networks.

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