Date of Birth: 11 October 1981
Detained Since: 3 December 2024
Affiliation: Co-founder/executive director of the human rights organization Defense Line (Müdafiə Xətti).

Charges:

• Intentional infliction of less serious harm to health (Art. 127.2.3)

• Fraud causing a large amount of damage (Art. 178.3.2)

• Hooliganism (Art. 221.1)

Conviction and Sentence:

On 12 June 2026, the Baku Assize Court sentenced Rufat Safarov to eight years in prison

Political Prisoner Status:

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

• Violation of freedom of expression and the right to freedom of association, as well as the right to a fair trial and to liberty and security under the ECHR.

• His prosecution is politically motivated and constitutes retaliation for his human rights work and public criticism of the Azerbaijani authorities.

Summary:

Rufat Safarov is an Azerbaijani human rights defender and former prosecutor’s office investigator who resigned in 2015 after publicly exposing corruption, abuses, and lawlessness within the system. Following his release from a previous politically motivated conviction in 2019, he resumed his advocacy work and co-founded Defense Line (Müdafiə Xətti) in 2020, a prominent organization documenting politically motivated prosecutions and human rights violations. He is widely regarded as one of the few remaining full-time human rights defenders in Azerbaijan.

He was detained on 3 December 2024 and formally charged the following day under Articles 127.2.3, 178.3.2 and 221.1 of the Criminal Code. The charges relate to allegations of bodily harm, fraud, and hooliganism, which lack credibility and are widely considered fabricated. His arrest occurred shortly after he obtained a U.S. visa and just days before he was due to travel to receive the U.S. Secretary of State’s 2024 Human Rights Defender Award, further reinforcing the view that the prosecution is retaliatory.

The case against Safarov relies primarily on the complainant’s statements, witness testimonies, and investigative records, but has been marked by serious inconsistencies. Reports indicate contradictions in witness accounts, questionable medical evidence, and irregularities in the investigation process, including allegations that evidence may have been staged or manipulated. Safarov has consistently denied all accusations, describing the case as fabricated and politically motivated.

The proceedings have been characterized by significant fair trial violations. Pre-trial detention was imposed without substantiated evidence and repeatedly extended, while courts rejected requests for alternative measures such as house arrest. Defense efforts to challenge the credibility of the complainant and the alleged financial transactions were dismissed as irrelevant, despite being central to the case.

Safarov’s prosecution forms part of a broader pattern of repression in Azerbaijan since 2022–2023, targeting human rights defenders, opposition figures, journalists, and civil society actors through criminal charges widely viewed as politically motivated. His prior imprisonment, continued activism, and increasing international recognition further support the conclusion that the current proceedings are intended to silence his work and deter others.

International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, OMCT, and Human Rights Watch, have condemned his arrest as politically motivated

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