Azerbaijani civil society figure Anar Abdullayev has been sentenced to 30 days of administrative detention by the Binagadi District Court, APA reports. The decision comes as Abdullayev and prominent election watchdog leader Anar Mammadli, head of the Center for Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies, face serious criminal charges.
Abdullayev was found guilty under Article 535 (willful disobedience to lawful police orders) and Article 510 (petty hooliganism) of the Azerbaijani Code of Administrative Offenses.
Meanwhile, the broader criminal case against both activists is currently being reviewed by the Baku Court on Grave Crimes. The charges include:
Article 192.3.2 – illegal entrepreneurship with substantial income,
Articles 193-1.3.1 & 193-1.3.2 – legalization of criminally obtained assets (money laundering),
Article 206.4 – smuggling by prior arrangement or organized group,
Article 213.2.1 – tax evasion on a large scale,
Articles 320.1 & 320.2 – forging and using official documents.
Context and Criticism
The case has sparked concern among human rights observers, who argue that such charges are often used to stifle civic activism in Azerbaijan. Anar Mammadli, in particular, is a well-known democracy advocate whose organization has monitored elections in the country for years. He previously served a prison sentence in 2014 on similar charges, which international watchdogs labeled politically motivated.
The timing and severity of the charges are raising alarms over the continued pressure on independent civic groups in Azerbaijan ahead of key political events. Calls for transparency and due process in the proceedings have begun to emerge from civil society circles and international partners.
