On January 14, the Presidium of the Azerbaijan Bar Association imposed disciplinary sanctions on seven lawyers.
This information was published on the Association’s official website.
According to the statement, “By decisions of the Presidium of the Azerbaijan Bar Association, disciplinary measures were taken against seven lawyers for violations they committed, and two lawyers were instructed to strictly comply with the requirements of the law in their professional activities.” However, the names of those individuals were not mentioned.
In recent years, many lawyers practicing in Azerbaijan have received such warnings. Some have even been expelled from the Bar Association, while others have had their professional activities suspended for a certain period.
Most of the punished lawyers have been those who defended opposition politicians, young activists, and critical journalists. These lawyers have stated that they associate the disciplinary measures with political pressure. The leadership of the Bar Association, however, has explained that the decisions are based on violations of legal requirements.
In Azerbaijan, lawyers’ disciplinary liability is regulated by the Law “On Lawyers and Legal Practice” and the relevant regulations. According to these documents, if a lawyer violates the law or ethical rules while performing their professional duties, the Disciplinary Commission may apply measures such as a warning, reprimand, or suspension of activity for a period ranging from three months to one year. Complete disbarment is possible only by a court decision.
Under amendments made to the law in 2025, the suspension of a lawyer’s activity can now last from one to two years, but expulsion from the Bar Association remains possible only by a court ruling.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has already ruled several times that the punishment of Azerbaijani lawyers by the Bar Association constitutes a violation of freedom of expression. In particular, in the cases of Yalchin Imanov, Khalid Bagirov, Elchin Namazov, and Alayif Hasanov, the ECHR concluded that punishing lawyers for criticizing state bodies and law enforcement agencies violated Article 10 of the Convention, which guarantees the right to freedom of expression.
On October 24, 2025, lawyer Zabil Gahramanov, who worked at the Ganja Regional Legal Office, was arrested. He was charged under the Criminal Code with fraud causing significant financial damage and hooliganism involving resistance to a person preventing a breach of public order. According to the investigation, on the day of his detention, Zabil Gahramanov had an argument with a worker at a car wash and allegedly struck him. Gahramanov, however, stated that he considers the charges to be unfounded.
Prior to his arrest, on October 8, based on a complaint submitted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Presidium of the Bar Association had decided to suspend Gahramanov’s legal practice for six months.
The reason given was his statements about “abuses against citizens” at the Ganja City Main Police Department. Following those remarks, the Ministry of Internal Affairs submitted a complaint about him to the Bar Association. The Association, in turn, justified its decision by citing a disciplinary violation.
