Bakhtiyar Hajiyev case – arrests in Azerbaijan
The trial of prominent human rights activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, arrested in December 2022, is ongoing in Baku, Azerbaijan. He has been in detention for nearly two years without a court verdict. Initially charged with hooliganism and contempt of court, he now faces five additional, more serious charges. At the latest hearing, Hajiyev announced that he no longer intends to participate in the process, calling the trial a “farce.”
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On September 25, at the latest hearing of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev’s case in the Baku Court on Grave Crimes, he submitted a written protest to prosecutor Eldar Hamza. According to Voice of America, the activist argued that the prosecutor had “violated the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Code by asking the witness questions about case materials that had not yet been reviewed in court.”
Hajiyev also claimed that the prosecutor’s name appears on a sanctions list submitted to the U.S. Congress, indicating his involvement in politically motivated cases.
Eldar Hamza responded by stating that no sanctions have been imposed on him. He added that his name was included in the U.S. Congress list because he served as the prosecutor in a trial involving Armenian separatists.
The court did not grant Bakhtiyar Hajiyev’s motion.
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev case – arrests in Azerbaijan
Later, he filed another motion stating that he no longer wishes to participate in the upcoming court sessions. The activist explained this decision by citing the “artificial delays in the process,” the rejection of all his motions, and his belief that the court itself is “political and orchestrated.”
“Therefore, there can be no talk of the court’s objectivity,” Hajiyev stated.
The prosecutor opposed this motion, and the court denied it as well. Despite this, Hajiyev declared that he would not participate in the proceedings going forward.
The process continued with the examination of the case documents.
The date for the next court session has not been announced and has been postponed indefinitely.
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev case – arrests in Azerbaijan
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev was arrested in December 2022. Initially, he faced charges under Articles 221.2.2 (hooliganism by resisting a person performing duties to maintain public order) and 289.1 (contempt of court) of the Azerbaijan Criminal Code.
Hajiyev was accused in connection with a complaint filed by journalist Ulviya Alovlu. A long-standing conflict exists between Hajiyev and Alovlu, with both accusing each other of defamation. During one of the court proceedings, a verbal altercation escalated into a physical confrontation. According to the charges, Hajiyev allegedly used violence against both Alovlu and court officer Orkhan Abdullayev during this incident.
Forty-two-year-old Bakhtiyar Hajiyev earned his master’s degree from Harvard University in the United States. He is known for his criticism of the Azerbaijani authorities’ policies.
Hajiyev has faced repeated arrests and repression. In 2011, he was detained on charges of evading military service and was recognized as a political prisoner.
In August 2022, Hajiyev submitted a statement to the presidential administration renouncing his Azerbaijani citizenship due to violations of his rights.