Fazil Shakir oglu Qasimov - public activist Date of arrest: 7 August 2023 Charge: Articles 167-3.1 (Manufacture, storage or distribution of religious extremist materials, i.e. materials calling for the implementation of religious extremist activities or justifying such activity, either justifying the need for such activities) and 204.3.1 (Manufacturing with a view of selling, and also buying or selling of counterfeit money, state securities either foreign currency, or securities in foreign currency committed by organized group) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic. On 8 August 2023, the Baku City Narimanov District Court issued a ruling: to apply a preventive measure against Rahman Jabbarov in the form of arrest for a period of 4 months, that measure was subsequently extended. Sentence: On 13 March 2025, the Baku Court for Serious Crimes issued a verdict: to find Fazil Qasimov guilty on all charges and sentenced him to 9 years of imprisonment with serving the sentence in a general regime penal institution. Judge: Mahira Karimova Place of detention: Penal Colony № 2 at the Bina settlement in Baku City Azizbayov District Conclusion: Fazil Qasimov (born in 1985) studied in Baku, then continued his studies at the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands and Ozyegin University in Turkey. Since 2019, he has been a PhD student at the University of Istanbul. He was not only known as a scholar-economist but also for his activities on social media: on his Facebook page, on 29 July 2023, he criticised the arrests of people in Azerbaijan, including the one of his friend, the famous scholar-economist Gubad Ibadoglu. The Azerbaijani authorities immediately reacted: he was declared a wanted fugitive in connection with the case of Gubad Ibadoglu, detained by the Turkish police on 7 August 2023, and transferred to Azerbaijan. His relatives found it out through the social networks having no information about the detention reasons, they neither knew where and in what conditions F. 52 Qasimov had been detained. Only the day following the detention, at the trial, it became known that Gasimov was charged under the same Article as Gubad Ibadoglu. Later on, the investigation brought a new accusation against both scientists. The investigation claims that Gasymov and Ibadoglu have a direct connection to the terrorist organisation FETÖ, the leader of which is the US-resident, a religious figure Fethullah Gulen. They have allegedly engaged in the work of religious extremism. The investigators also claimed that it was Fazil Gasimov who handed over the fake money to Gubad Ibadoglu. However, on 3 May 2024, Fazil Qasimov stated in his public announcement addressed to the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan, Kamran Aliyev, that he had been subjected to torture, including psychological ones upon his arrest, and under the impact of psychotropic drugs made him testify that he had allegedly handed over fake money to G. Ibadoglu, and they had had discussions on the religious topics. Now, he has denied all his own testimonies and asked to exclude these statements obtained as the result of torture by Lieutenant Colonel Yusif Yusifov, investigator of the Main Department for Combating Organised Crime of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs, from the case. He also requested to add to the case his testimony provided on 27 September 2023, which Yusif Yusifov, an investigator, did not include in the file. In other words, Fazil Qasimov publicly declared that he had been subjected to torture and forced to testify against Gubad Ibadoglu and himself. However, the General Prosecutor of Azerbaijan did not respond to this letter, instead, the arrested F. Qasimov again dealt with the investigator and was subjected to additional harassment. On 28 August 2024, F. Gasimov submitted another letter to the General Prosecutor, sending also copies to the Ombudsman, the local and international communities, where he again indicated the facts of torture he had been subjected to and the falsity of all the accusations against Gubad Ibadoglu and him personally. Meanwhile, G. Ibadoglu's health condition drastically deteriorated and, on 22 April 2024, he was transferred to house arrest by the Baku City Narimanov District Court order. According to the Nazim Qasimov, his brother also has very serious health problems also: “He had undergone two gastric surgeries prior to the pandemic. In prison conditions, he could not be fed properly. His state has deteriorated further in detention”. However, the Court did not issue a ruling to transfer Fazil Qasimov to house arrest. Then on 14 July 2024, the latter, as a sign of protest against the biased investigation, started a hunger strike in the pre-trial detention center demanding the cessation of criminal prosecution. On the 69th day of his hunger strike, Qasimov sent a letter to the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, asking for his release. According to his brother, by the 30 August 2024, Qasimov had lost the ability to move independently and was losing consciousness due to low blood pressure. On 9 September 2024, Fazil Qasimov reaffirmed his brother, Nazim, his intention to continue his hunger strike "until the end". As Nazim Qasimov insisted, “My brother could die at any moment. He has become a skeleton”, his weight has dropped from 67 kg to 35 kg over the hunger strike period. Fazil is in pain, he is squirming, it can be seen even from the wrinkles on his face, he has turned into an old man. My brother moans, his hair has turned grey and his back is bent. The whole family is suffering along with Fazil.” 53