Azerbaijan court keeps prominent defence lawyer Zabil Qahramanov in custody
- 5 hours ago
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An appeal court in Azerbaijan has rejected a bid to free prominent defence lawyer Zabil Qahramanov, who will remain in custody until late July as prosecutors finalise their investigation.
Judge Qadim Babayev of the Baku Court of Appeal upheld a previous ruling keeping Mr Qahramanov in pre-trial detention until 23 July 2026.
Relatives of the lawyer told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that the investigation is expected to finish in the coming days, after which the case will be sent to trial.
The Səbail District Court in Baku had previously granted a final extension of his detention on 16 May, following a formal request from Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev. Under Azerbaijani law, the prosecutor general must personally request any third and final extension during the pre-trial phase.
Mr Qahramanov, who worked at the Gəncə Regional Bar Association, has been in custody since 23 October 2025. He is charged with fraud causing significant damage and hooliganism involving resistance to a public order enforcer.
Prosecutors allege that on the day of his arrest, Mr Qahramanov assaulted a car wash employee in Gəncə, Azerbaijan's second-largest city.
He is also accused of taking 5,600 Azerbaijani manats (£2,600) from a resident of the nearby Şəmkir region under the false promise of securing a favourable court verdict.
Mr Qahramanov has strongly denied both allegations, calling them fabricated and claiming that the complainants were used by the authorities to punish him for his legal work.
Two weeks before his arrest, the Azerbaijani Bar Association suspended Mr Qahramanov's legal licence for six months following a complaint from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
International rights groups have raised concerns over the case. The Union Internationale des Avocats Institute for the Rule of Law (UIA-IROL) said his arrest appeared linked to his professional activities and his public criticism of police misconduct.
The Azerbaijani government has repeatedly rejected accusations of political persecution, maintaining that no one in the country is prosecuted for their professional work.
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