**Samad Rahimli: “The government aims to suppress the activities of exiled individuals once it has addressed the domestic opposition.”**
Following the demand by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan for the return of several individuals living abroad, including Gabil Mammadov, Gurban Mammadov, Tural Sadikhli, Ilgar Hajiyev, Elshad Mammadov, and Mohammad Mirzali, members of parliament have started making statements about their extradition to Azerbaijan.
Member of Parliament Hikmat Babaoghlu stated that Azerbaijan is a strong and influential country and that these individuals will be brought back.
“Azerbaijan has the capability to bring them back through lawful means, utilizing legal channels recognized by international law. I believe that Germany and other countries should seriously consider this matter. As for France, it is currently preoccupied with its own issues and is unable to support cybercriminals against others. Therefore, sooner or later, information terrorists and virtual terrorists will inevitably have to answer to the laws of Azerbaijan.” Hikmat Babaoghlu added.
MP Elman Nasirov also stated, “The return of Gabil Mammadov and individuals in similar circumstances to Azerbaijan is expected in the near future. Azerbaijan’s robust law enforcement agencies, in cooperation with international partners, are actively working toward this objective. The Prosecutor General’s Office has taken steps to demand their return for questioning in connection with the ongoing investigation.”
“Criminal cases have been initiated by the Prosecutor General’s Office against individuals including Gabil Mammadov, Tural Sadikhli, and Mohammad Mirzali. The Prosecutor’s Office has set a deadline in April for them to appear before the Investigation Department. These individuals believe they can rely on the law enforcement agencies of the countries where they reside. Gabil Mammadov, residing in Germany, is confident that German authorities will not extradite him, while Mohammad Mirzali, living in France, assumes that the current tension in Azerbaijan-France relations will prevent his extradition. However, this belief is misguided. Efforts are underway to demand their return to Azerbaijan, and it is only a matter of time before they are brought back to face questioning. The law enforcement agencies of Azerbaijan are actively working on this matter.” Elman Nasirov remarked.
On March 16, Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office demanded the return of several individuals, including bloggers, businessmen, and heads of internet channels, who had migrated abroad. These individuals are facing various charges.
According to reports, official notices were sent to the accused by the Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, as required by Article 467-13.4 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Procedure Code, for Ilgar Hajiyev, Mohammad Mirzali, Gurban Mammadov, Elshad Mammadov, Gabil Mammadov, and Tural Sadikhli.
One of them is Ilgar Hajiyev, the head of the “Akkord” company, which had won numerous tenders in Azerbaijan in the past. Hajiyev, who now lives in exile, has been sharply criticizing the Azerbaijani government in recent years.
The Prosecutor General’s Office’s statement indicates that he is to appear at the Investigation Department on July 14.
Ilgar Hajiyev is accused under Article 178.3.2 of the Criminal Code (fraud). A search warrant has been issued for him, and he has been placed under arrest.
Ilgar Hajiyev referred to the charges as a political order:
“This decision is directly a political order from Ilham Aliyev. In Russia, police and gang groups, under the name of Ilham Aliyev, raided my properties in the villages of Pirogovka and Novye Zavoronki in the Moscow region and Odintsovo district. These events were covered in Russian media. Now, a false accusation has been made against the head of my company in Russia, and a 9-year prison sentence has been imposed. The charges are false. Ilham Aliyev and his circle have stolen my Akkord company and seized my properties worth 4 billion. These charges are no longer valid.I had previously been sought by the Azerbaijani and Russian governments through Interpol. In 2022, Interpol deemed this search unfounded and subsequently cancelled it.” Ilgar Hajiyev said.
Bloggers Mohammad Mirzali and Gabil Mammadov have also been demanded to return by the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Mirzali was a member of the Azerbaijan People’s Front Party (AXCP) and lives in France. According to his account, he was the organizer of the “End Soldier Deaths!” protest in Goychay and was subsequently persecuted. Prior to fleeing into exile, he was detained by the police, subjected to torture, and alleged that his father was repeatedly called in for threats.
Attempts to obtain responses from law enforcement regarding these allegations have been unsuccessful. Government officials have denied any claims of pressure being applied to individuals or their families as a result of their political beliefs.
It has been reported that Mirzali was stabbed while in France, and it is even stated that people have been arrested in connection to this incident. He has been accused under Articles 220.2 (actively refusing to comply with lawful demands of an authority representative and calling for mass riots and violence against citizens) and 281.1 (making open calls for the violent seizure or change of the constitutional order or territorial integrity of Azerbaijan) of the Criminal Code, as of June 2, 2018.
Another blogger known for his harsh criticism of the government and called to the Prosecutor General’s Investigation Department is Gabil Mammadov, who faces accusations related to terrorism and 24 other criminal charges.
Also demanded by the Prosecutor General’s Office is the lawyer and the head of the “Azərifreedom” channel, Gurban Mammadov. He faces charges related to terrorism and several other offenses. He had been imprisoned multiple times under various charges before fleeing the country. Human rights activists have recognized him as a political prisoner, although Azerbaijani authorities do not acknowledge the existence of political prisoners in the country.
Tural Sadikhli, one of the channel heads who has been demanded to return and is currently in exile, faces charges related to inciting mass riots and other unlawful activities. He has been placed on the wanted list, and a remote arrest warrant has been issued for him.
So far, it has not been possible to get comments from all the individuals mentioned in the official statements. However, they have previously rejected the charges against them, asserting that they are due to their critical activities.
Lawyer Samad Rahimli commented on the demand for several exiled individuals to appear at the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s Investigation Department and the charges brought against them. He said that, according to legal procedures, they could be placed on international wanted lists through Interpol or the Council of Europe’s extradition conventions.
“The issue here is that if these individuals have refugee status in the countries where they live, their extradition to Azerbaijan is not possible,” the lawyer explained.
According to Samad Rahimli, the government is trying to eliminate the activities of exiled individuals after silencing domestic civil society.
“This is a continuation of the repressions actively applied by the government since 2023. Initially, this repression may target the ‘insulting opposition’ or a single individual from civil society, but over time, its scope may broaden,” Rahimli concluded.