Court reveals scheme where Azerbaijani blogger Gabil Mammadov helped extort debtors through online humiliation
A Baku Serious Crimes Court has heard new testimony in the case of 55-year-old Göncha Mammadova, who is accused of running an illegal loan-sharking operation and blackmailing debtors with the assistance of Azerbaijani blogger Gabil Mammadov, currently living abroad.
The hearing, chaired by Judge Elmin Rustamov, continued with witness questioning.
Witness: “We sent debtor photos to Gabil hoping he would shame them into paying”
Witness Lala Sultanova, a lawyer, confirmed her previous testimony:
“I had been helping Göncha with legal matters related to her auto business. When one woman deceived us both, we filed complaints. We thought that exposing her publicly might help recover the money, so we sent her photo to Gabil so he would speak about it on his channel.”
Illegal scheme: 55%+ annual rate, threats, and intimidation
Investigators found that Mammadova operated an unlicensed lending business:
She gave 92,760 manats in loans to 13 people
Collected 51,675 manats in interest
Effective rate exceeded 55%, far above legal financial limits
The case unraveled after two women – Gulaya Guliyeva and Farida Farzaliyeva – refused to pay extra illegal charges.
Prosecutors say Mammadova then began threatening to humiliate them publicly through blogger Gabil Mammadov. She allegedly sent him:
Personal photos
Private videos
Information about the women’s relatives
Gabil then published defamatory materials on his social media channels, accompanied by insults and false accusations.
In one instance, Mammadova introduced Gabil to a debtor as her “cousin” and showed how he had previously “punished” another borrower online.
Blogger also charged – but remains abroad
A separate criminal case has been opened against Gabil Mammadov under Article 182 (extortion), but he has not been formally charged due to residing outside Azerbaijan.
Charges and next hearing
Göncha Mammadova faces charges under:
Article 182 – Extortion
Article 192 – Illegal entrepreneurship
The next hearing is scheduled for January 17.
