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Home » Bakhtiyar Hajiyev
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev

Bakhtiyar Hajiyev

is a civic and political activist, blogger, who was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on 13 January 2025

  • CASE STATUS
    Sentenced
  • IMPRISONED IN
    N/V
  • GROUP
    Activist
DONATE TO ADVOCACY FOR HIS RELEASE

Date of Birth: 28 March 1982
Detained Since: 9 December 2022
Affiliation: Civic, political activist, and blogger 

Charges:

  • Contempt of court (Art. 289.1)
  • Hooliganism (Art. 221.2.2)
  • Illegal entrepreneurship (Art. 192.1)
  • Money laundering (Art. 193-1.3.2)
  • Smuggling (Art. 206.1)
  • Tax evasion (Art. 213.1)
  • Forgery of official documents (Art. 320.1)
  • Use of forged documents (Art. 320.2)

Conviction and Sentence:

On 13 January 2025, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment by the Baku Assize Court. The court also ordered confiscation of his property and funds and imposed a one-year ban on educational activity after release. On 7 April 2025, the Baku Court of Appeal upheld the verdict. On 18 November 2025, the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan dismissed the cassation appeal, leaving the conviction in force. He has remained in continuous detention since 9 December 2022.

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 silencing a prominent critic and deterring civic activism.

Summary:

Bakhtiyar Hajiyev is a well-known Azerbaijani civic and political activist, blogger, and former parliamentary candidate, recognized for his anti-corruption advocacy, election monitoring, and criticism of government authorities. He has long been a visible figure in Azerbaijan’s civil society and has previously been imprisoned in 2011–2012 following his involvement in pro-democracy activism.

He was detained on 9 December 2022 and initially charged with hooliganism and contempt of court in connection with a prior courtroom incident. Over time, the authorities expanded the case to include a wide range of financial and document-related charges, transforming it into a large-scale prosecution based on his civic and organizational activities.

On 13 January 2025, he was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. The conviction relied heavily on prosecution-generated financial assessments and official records that reinterpreted his long-standing civic, educational, and grant-related activities as criminal conduct. Courts accepted this narrative without conducting meaningful independent scrutiny.

Throughout the proceedings, Mr. Hajiyev denied all charges and maintained that the case was fabricated in retaliation for his activism. His detention followed years of pressure, including harassment, threats, and a reported abduction and beating in April 2022 after he publicly criticized a senior government official.

His case forms part of a broader pattern of repression in Azerbaijan targeting activists, independent media, and civil society actors. International organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have described such prosecutions as politically motivated and aimed at suppressing dissent and silencing prominent critics.

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