Azerbaijani Popular Front Party (APFP) member Agil Humbatov was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Humbatov was sentenced by the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, which had found him guilty of stabbing a man named Yaman Mammadov.
Humbatov has consistently denied the accusation and believes that his arrest and trial were politically motivated. He believes the reason for his detention was his live videos on social media, in which he openly criticized the government, including President Ilham Aliyev
According to the APFP activist, Yaman Mammadov created a fake commotion and stabbed himself in a staged event. The fact that the police immediately arrived and that the number calling the ambulance belonged to the deputy chief of the Khazar District Police Office also might indicate that the incident was planned.
Humbatov stated that the police tortured him and threatened to rape him at the police station he was taken to. He says he was also forced to sign a false statement.
His lawyer told Meydan TV that the court did not investigate many contradictions in the criminal case and refused to conduct further examinations on Humbatov.
This is not the first time Agil Humbatov has been arrested under questionable circumstances. In March 2020, he was accused of resisting police orders and charged with an administrative detention after criticizing President Aliyev on his Facebook account.
