Date of Birth: 3 August 1981
Detained Since: 6 March 2024
Affiliation: Co-founder and Chair, Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI); co-founder and speaker, Third Republic Platform (TRP); affiliated with Toplum TV

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit illegal entrepreneurship (Art. 192.3.2)

• Conspiracy to commit money laundering (Arts. 193-1.3.1, 193-1.3.2)

• Conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling (Art. 206.4)

• Conspiracy to commit tax evasion (Art. 213.2.1)

• Arranging employment of a substantial number of employees without labour contracts (Art. 162-1)

Conviction and Sentence:
Trial ongoing before the Baku Assize Court. No conviction or sentence to date.

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

• Violation of freedom of expression and association under the ECHR

• His prosecution is politically motivated, aimed at silencing a prominent political leader and civil society figure

Summary:
Akif Gurbanov is a leading Azerbaijani political and civil society figure, active since the early 2000s. From 2006–2016, he served as a commissioner of the Central Election Commission, where he became known for dissenting opinions against fraudulent elections. Since 2013, he has chaired the Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI), providing youth programs, legal aid, and election monitoring, and developing Toplum TV into a major independent media platform.

In December 2023, Gurbanov co-founded the Third Republic Platform (TRP), an opposition political movement focused on democratic transition, decentralisation, and good governance. He was elected as its first speaker. His visibility as both civil society leader and opposition politician made him a prime target in Azerbaijan’s renewed crackdown.

He was detained on 6 March 2024 during police raids on IDI, Toplum TV, and TRP offices. Authorities claimed to discover 123,048.96 AZN in mixed currencies during searches of offices and staff apartments, though detainees insist the cash was planted while they were under police control. He was initially charged with bulk cash smuggling and later with expanded conspiracy charges, including money laundering, illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, and labour-code violations.

The investigation and trial have been marked by serious procedural violations: denial of legal counsel during searches, reliance on undisclosed “operational information,” and the planting of alleged evidence. Pro-government media have conducted sustained smear campaigns against him, portraying him as part of a “fifth column” linked to Western powers. His arrest came just weeks after he participated in the PACE Winter Session of 2024, where Azerbaijan’s parliamentary delegation lost its credentials—a sign of his growing international profile.

The charges against him reflect a coordinated state campaign to dismantle post-2014 informal civil society and media networks. The crackdown, enabled by restrictive laws on media (2021) and political parties (2022), follows a familiar pattern from Azerbaijan’s 2013–2014 repression, when legal restrictions preceded politically motivated arrests.

International human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have condemned his detention as politically motivated.

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