Rufat Safarov - executive director of the human rights organization “Defence Line” Date of arrest: 3 December 2024 Charge: Articles 127.2.3 (Deliberate causing of less serious harm to the health which was not dangerous to life of a victim and did not bring to any consequences, committed in publicly dangerous way or from hooligan prompting), 178.3.2 (Swindle, that is maintaining another persons property or buying another persons property by a deceit or breach of confidence, committed by organized group) and 221.1 (Hooliganism, that is the deliberate actions roughly breaking a social order, expressing obvious disrespect for a society, accompanying with application of violence on citizens or threat of its application, as well as destruction or damage of another's property) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic. On 21 November 2023, the Baku City Khatai District Court issued a ruling: to apply a preventive measure against Sevinj Vaqifqizi Abbasova in the form of arrest for a period of 3 months and 29 days. The period of detention in custody during the investigation has been subsequently extended several times Place of detention: Pre-trial Detention Center № 1 at the Kyurdakhani settlement in Baku City Sabunchu District Conclusion: Rufat Safarov is a former Azerbaijani investigator of the Prosecutor's Office in the Zardab district. In 2016, he was sentenced to 9-year imprisonment on charges of bribery. Р. Safarov did not admit guilt, declaring the political nature of his case. Prior to his arrest, he tendered his resignation as a sign of disagreement with the government's policy. In March 2019, R. Safarov 40 was pardoned. A year later, he and like-minded activists founded the human rights organisation ‘Line of Defence’. On 6 December 2024, Rufat Safarov was to fly to the United States to receive a human rights award, which was to be delivered by the US Secretary Anthony Blinken at a special ceremony dedicated to the International Human Rights Day (10 December). Being aware of the fact, the Azerbaijani authorities decided to prevent it. On 3 December 2024, the Binagadi District police officers arrested Rufat Safarli. On the evening of 3 December Safarov's lawyer, Elchin Sadigov, informed that his client was charged with embezzlement of money from a certain Natiq Imamquliyev, who had claimed that he had purchased six hectares of land from Safarov's father in the village of Novkhany on the Absheron Peninsula, then allegedly gave a human rights defender 60,000 manats (about 36,000 US dollars) for purchasing of the second half of the plot of land of the same area and he was ‘deceived’, finally did not receive the land, but the money was embezzled. After the charges were brought in the evening of 4 December, Safarov was taken to the Baku Binagadi District Court to choose a preventive measure. The defence requested for Safarov a house arrest. According to the lawyer, Safarov didn’t plead guilty to all charges, “No evidence of committing the crimes imputed to him was submitted. The investigation's stance was based on general phrases and unsubstantiated allegations. Mr Safarov said that the criminal case was a revenge for his human rights activities and was initiated in order to disrupt the US State Department award. Rufat Safarov stated that he had repeatedly received threats demanding him to stop his human rights work. " Also, the lawyer said in relation to the accusations: ‘This accusation is absolutely groundless. The purchase and sale of the land plot shall be executed through a notary, the funds shall not be transferred hand-to-hand, but shall be paid by the buyer to the seller’s bank account. Moreover, Rufat Safarov was not personally acquainted with Imamquliyev. The accusation of hooliganism is also ridiculous, this man attacked Rufat Safarov, and the police appeared immediately to arrest Safarov ".