Anar Abdulla has been recognized as a suspect in a criminal case filed against human rights defender Anar Mammadli.
Independent journalist Anar Abdulla has been named as a suspect in a criminal case filed against human rights defender Anar Mammadli by the Investigation Department of the General Prosecutor’s Office.
His lawyer, Gunay Ismailova, shared this information with Meydan TV.
According to his lawyer, on April 8, the journalist was called to the Investigation Department of the General Prosecutor’s Office, where he was charged under the following articles of the Criminal Code: 192 (illegal entrepreneurship), 193-1 (false entrepreneurship, meaning establishing a company or other legal entity without intending to engage in business activities but for the purpose of obtaining loans, tax exemptions, or other material benefits, or to conceal illegal activities, resulting in significant damage or significant profit), 206 (smuggling), 213 (failure to pay taxes, unemployment insurance, mandatory health insurance, or compulsory state social insurance fees), 206.3.2 (smuggling committed by a group of people acting in concert), and 320 (counterfeiting official documents, state awards, seals, stamps, or blanks, or the illegal production, sale, or use of counterfeit documents).
Anar Abdulla has been released but placed under police supervision.
Human rights activist and director of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center, Anar Mammadli, was arrested in Baku on April 29, 2024. A search was conducted at his and his father’s home.
Subsequently, he was charged under Article 206.3.2 (smuggling committed by a group of individuals acting in concert).
The human rights defender denies the smuggling charges. He claims that he has been persecuted for his activities related to election monitoring and human rights protection.
Anar Mammadli is the head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center, which focuses on election rights. He is the author of critical reports on elections in Azerbaijan.
Previously, Anar Mammadli was also imprisoned in 2014 in connection with a criminal case involving NGOs. After being held in custody for 2 years and 4 months, he was released on March 17, 2016, following a pardon from the President.
During his time in prison, Anar Mammadli was awarded the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.
Over the past year, many journalists and activists in the country have been arrested on charges of smuggling.
Several international organizations, including the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Baku, have called on the Azerbaijani government to immediately release Anar Mammadli and other unjustly imprisoned individuals.
Local and international organizations report that there are over 300 political prisoners in Azerbaijan, including Anar Mammadli.
