Mr Akif Gurbanov, a renowned political leader and influential civil society figure, has been deeply dedicated to civic society since the early 2000s. His current political involvement, which began in 2023, is a testament to his unwavering political commitment to democratic transition, good governance, and decentralisation despite the adversities he has faced.  

Mr Gurbanov was born in the Georgian SSR on August 3, 1981. He is married and has three children.  

He graduated from Zangi High School No. 289 (Baku) in 1998. From 1998 to 2004, he pursued his first higher education at the Faculty of Treatment and Prevention of Azerbaijan Medical University. In 2008, he graduated from the Schools of Political Studies under the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, a testament to his commitment to democratic development. From 2013 to 2016, he furthered his education at the Faculty of Law of Karazin Kharkiv National University, demonstrating his dedication to the rule of law. In 2014, he broadened his horizons through the Open World Program in the United States, a clear indication of his interest in global perspectives.  

From 2006 to 2016, he was a commissioner of the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan. He was known for his dissenting opinions against electoral irregularities, including refusing to endorse the results of the 2013 Presidential elections, 2014 municipal elections, and 2015 parliamentary elections.   

As the co-founder and chairperson of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives since 2013, Mr Gurbanov has not only led the implementation of impactful projects for the youth and provided crucial free legal aid programs but also monitored elections and published insightful policy papers. His leadership has significantly shaped Azerbaijan’s civic society landscape and inspired human rights advocacy.   

In 2016, Mr Gurbanov co-established the Civil Society Platform (now defunct) for the purpose achieve public discussions of socio-economic hardships in Azerbaijan, proposing viable solutions and countering the restrictive legislative agenda of the Government.  

He was a board member of the NGO Coalition for Increasing Transparency in Extractive Industries (EITI), demonstrating his ability to counter the Azerbaijani Government’s efforts to create a façade concerning the rule of law reforms.   

Since 2016, he has regularly attended advocacy trips to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Sessions and the Human Dimension Implementation Meetings (HDIM) organised by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). He last participated in an advocacy trip to the PACE Winter Session of 2024 in January, when the PACE resolved not to ratify the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation. Upon the above-mentioned PACE resolution, Mr Gurbanov publicly endorsed the non-ratification of the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation in essence.   

On December 7, 2023, Mr Gurbanov co-founded the Third Republic Platform, the newly established opposition political movement with democratic transition, good governance, and decentralisation perspectives, becoming its founding member. He has been elected speaker for one year to represent the platform and organise decision-making.  On 23 December 2024, Mr Gurbanov was followed by plain-clothed law enforcement officials. Mr Gurbanov publicised the incident on following of him by law enforcement operatives through social media. Upon publication, dozens of civic activists and journalists arrived at the restaurant where he stayed. Subsequently, the activists and journalists accompanied him to his apartment. However, on the same day, Mr Araz Aliyev, one of the founding members of the TRP, was arrested by plain-clothed police operatives and handed to Police Station No. 24 of the Nizami District Police Department. Mr Aliyev was charged with disobeying lawful police orders under Section 535.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. The Nizami District Court sentenced him to 30 days of administrative imprisonment on 24 December 2024 (after serving administrative imprisonment he was released).

On 8 March 2024, the BMGPD officially charged Mr Gurbanov with conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling under Section 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code and served him with an arraignment. According to the arraignment, Mr Gurbanov was charged with the following: 

1. Smuggling (conspired beforehand with co-conspirators)

a) acting with the intention of greed and the purpose of gaining illicit income, conspired beforehand with co-conspirators [their names were mentioned above] and other persons (qeyriləri) whose identities were sought under preliminary investigation, unlawfully to transport a significant amount (xeyli miqdarda) of foreign currency to [Azerbaijan]; 

b) committed bulk cash smuggling that obtained currency in foreign countries, whose source is unknown to the preliminary investigation currently, at different dates, including 2023-2024, upon returning from various foreign trips to [Azerbaijan], either by evading customs control or misusing fraudulent documents or customs identification means or violating financial reporting requirements (either not declaring or wrongly declaring); 

c) With other co-conspirators, they divided these among themselves and conducted various financial transactions, thus gaining considerable [illicit] income totalling 123.048,96 AZN.

Legal Proceedings

On 08 March 2024, the prosecution authorities applied to the Khatai District Court to remand Mr Gurbanov in custody, citing the gravity of the offences and the risk of his absconding or obstructing the investigation. By a decision of 8 March 2024, the Khatai District Court ordered Mr Gurbanov’s remand in custody for four months (until 6 July 2024), endorsing the remand application. 

Mr Gurbanov appealed against the detention order. On 05 April 2024, the Baku Appeal Court dismissed the appeal.

The prosecution applied to the Khatai District Court requesting an extension of the his remand in custody. The reasoning for the extension application was the same reasoning of the remand application and added an extension of the preliminary investigation period including potential new charges against Mr Gurbanov.

On 04 July 2024, the Khatai District Court granted an extension of the remand in custody application, citing, inter alia, potential new charges against Mr Gurbanov for four months by 06 October 2024.

Mr Gurbanov appealed the district court’s extension order, relying on the absence of an objective basis for the extension. On 11 July 2024, the Baku Appeal Court dismissed the appeal, endorsing the reasoning of the first-instance court.