Imprisoned Azerbaijan economist appeals to EU chief Ursula von der Leyen

Fazil Qasimov

An imprisoned Azerbaijani economist has appealed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to help secure his release, claiming his nine-year sentence was based on fabricated evidence.

Fazil Qasimov, who is currently held in Prison Number 2 in Baku, sent the letter ahead of Mrs von der Leyen’s reported visit to Azerbaijan on 1 July.

Qasimov, a doctoral candidate at Istanbul University and an alumnus of a United Nations scholarship scheme, has been detained for 34 months. He maintains that the criminal charges against him are entirely baseless.

His case is closely linked to that of Gubad Ibadoghlu, a prominent academic and opposition figure who was arrested in 2023.

In his letter, Qasimov said a key prosecution document naming Mr Ibadoghlu was dated before any witness in the case had actually accused him. He argued this chronological discrepancy serves as concrete proof that the authorities falsified evidence.

"This document proves that the charges against Gubad Ibadoghlu and myself are fake and groundless," Qasimov wrote.

He added that his defence team had sought to present this document during his trial, but the judges refused to examine it on 13 March 2025, declaring the investigation closed. Qasimov said he was prevented from delivering his final statement before being sentenced to nine years in prison.

The economist also alleged that he was subjected to "inhuman treatment" at the Baku Detention Centre on 28 February 2025, and that a subsequent court hearing was conducted in his absence despite his requiring medical attention.

"The courts have grossly violated my right to the presumption of innocence by knowingly issuing an unjust verdict," he said.

Qasimov’s appeal follows a joint letter sent to Mrs von der Leyen by seven other high-profile Azerbaijani political prisoners and activists, including Bakhtiyar Hajiyev and Mohammad Kekalov.

The group urged the European Commission chief to raise the issue of human rights during her diplomatic talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

While welcoming closer cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Azerbaijan on energy security, regional transport, and economic development, the activists warned that sustainable partnerships cannot be built solely on transactional interests.

"We hope that during your visit, the issue of human rights will be raised as an integral part of cooperation between the European Union and Azerbaijan," the joint letter said.

The activists called on the EU to issue a "clear and principled" demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in the country.