BAKU - Azerbaijani human rights activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev was sentenced to 10 years in prison on January 13, 2025, by a Baku court on various corruption charges, which he denied, according to his lawyer.
Lawyer Elchin Sadigov stated, "We are dissatisfied with the court's decision and will file an appeal" following the verdict from the Baku Court of Grave Crimes.
Hajiyev was arrested in December 2022 on charges of hooliganism and contempt of court. In June 2023, prosecutors expanded the allegations to include financial violations such as grant embezzlement, illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering, smuggling, using forged documents, and tax evasion.
Hajiyev has claimed that the charges are politically motivated, stemming from his criticism of the government. Human rights organizations have labeled him a political prisoner.
Azerbaijan, an oil-producing nation that hosted the U.N. climate summit in November 2023, has rejected Western criticism of its human rights practices, calling it unacceptable interference.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed deep concern last month, urging Azerbaijani authorities to release detained human rights advocates, government critics, and journalists, citing an "increasing crackdown on civil society and media."