Azerbaijan’s Sabail District Court has ordered the pre-trial detention of Ali Karimli, chairman of the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party (APFP), placing him in custody for 2 months and 15 days under Article 278.1 of the Criminal Code – a charge involving acts aimed at the violent seizure of state power.
The ruling, issued by Judge Ulviya Shukyurova, follows Karimli’s detention by the State Security Service (SSS). He was arrested alongside Mamed Ibrahim, a member of the party’s Presidium, who faces the same accusation.
According to information obtained by several media outlets, Karimli has been placed in a single-occupancy (solitary) cell after undergoing a medical examination at the SSS Detention Facility.
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Karimli’s lawyer, Aqil Layij, said he did not observe any improper behavior toward his client during the initial procedural steps. He declined to comment on the broader investigation, noting that legal processes were still ongoing.
Part of the expanding Mehdiyev investigation
Authorities say the arrests of Karimli and Ibrahim are linked to the expanding criminal probe involving former Presidential Administration head Ramiz Mehdiyev, who faces charges of treason, attempted usurpation of state power, and legalization of illicit assets.
Investigators have connected several individuals to activities allegedly tied to the Mehdiyev case, describing it as a multi-layered investigation with additional suspects possible.
Neither Karimli nor his legal team have publicly responded to the allegations.
