Court Refuses to Release Student Arrested Over Graffiti to House Arrest

A court in Azerbaijan has rejected a request to replace the pre-trial detention of Ardeshir Seypfur Saad Abadi, a young man arrested in connection with graffiti painted on the walls of the Nizami Cinema, with house arrest.

According to a statement released by his family, the Nasimi District Court heard Abadi’s appeal against his detention on July 8. His lawyers asked the court to substitute pre-trial detention with house arrest, but the request was denied.

The family expressed disappointment with the ruling, arguing that keeping the young student in detention is neither proportionate nor consistent with humanitarian principles.

“We are deeply disappointed by this decision. We believe that continuing the pre-trial detention of a 19-year-old student, despite the request to replace it with house arrest, is incompatible with both the principle of proportionality and a humane approach,” the family’s statement said.

They added that they would continue to challenge the decision through legal means while expressing serious concern over the court’s ruling.

Abadi, a 20-year-old Belarusian citizen, was placed in pre-trial detention for four months in early April after authorities accused him of vandalizing the wall of the historic Nizami Cinema by painting graffiti.

However, Abadi has denied any involvement in the incident. Through his relatives, he previously stated that the graffiti on the cinema building was not created by him.