Two Popular Front Party Activists Remain Detained on Anti-State Call Charges

The Baku Court of Appeal upheld the pretrial detention of Zaur Asgarov, chairman of the Garadagh district branch of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), and Gunduz

Mirzayev, a member of the Binagadi branch. Both activists were detained on March 7, 2025, and are accused of making public calls against the state, a crime under Article 281.2 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. This charge, involving repeated calls or calls made by a group, carries a potential prison sentence of 5 to 8 years.

The initial detention decision was made by the Binagadi District Court, which ruled to hold both activists in custody for two months during the investigation.

Zaur Asgarov's lawyer, Nemat Karimli, argued against the detention, stating, "There are no material or procedural grounds required by law to justify Asgarov's detention. There is no serious basis for keeping Zaur Asgarov under pretrial detention. The investigation could have been conducted without his detention. He is the head of a family and has children." The lawyer also emphasized that Asgarov maintains his innocence. However, the Baku Court of Appeal rejected the complaint, confirming the original detention order.

The investigation into the charges against the PFPA members is being conducted by the Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The PFPA reports that approximately 15 of its members are currently detained. They assert that these detentions are politically motivated and linked to their political activities.

Government representatives, however, maintain that no one in Azerbaijan is persecuted for political reasons, and that those detained are held accountable based on specific evidence.

In a related development, Fuad Ahmadli, a human rights defender and former political prisoner, expressed support for Tofiq Yaqublu’s hunger strike, highlighting the importance of Yaqublu’s protest in raising international awareness of human rights issues in Azerbaijan.