Subhi Hajiaga oglu Aliyev – believer Date of arrest: 10 December 2023 Charge: Article 234.4.3 (Illegal manufacturing, purchase, storage, transportation, transfer or selling of narcotics, psychotropic substances committed in large amount) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic. On 10 December 2022, Subhi Aliyev was detained by the officers from the Main Department in charge of Combating Organised Crime within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan. On 13 December 2022, the Baku City Narimanov District court reclassified the charge from the Article 234.4.3 to 234.1-1 (Illegal manufacturing, purchase, storage, transportation, transfer 120 or selling of narcotics, psychotropic substances committed in large amount) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic and sentenced to 4 months in a pre-trial detention center. Sentence: On 25 July 2023, the Baku City Court of Serious Crimes issued a verdict against S. Aliyev: he was found guilty of committing a crime under the Article 234.1-1 of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic and sentenced him to a 4-year imprisonment term to be served in a general regime correctional institution. On 19 October 2023, the Criminal Collegium of the Baku City Court of Appeal issued a ruling: to dismiss the defence’s appeal and leave the sentence of the Baku Court of Serious Crimes from 25 July 2023 intact. Conclusion: Subhi Aliyev, interrogated at the first instance Court, did not plead guilty to the charge and made a disagreeing statement. Subhi Aliyev testified that three unknown people approached him when he left a fitness center on 9 December 2022. They twisted his hands, forcibly put him in a car and brought him to the Department in charge of Combating Organised Crime at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. While in the car, Subhi Aliyev was beaten with fists and asked what religious group he belonged to. Subhi Aliyev replied that he had not been a member of any religious organisation. Then he was asked about his practice of namaz (prayer) and whether he had ever met Tale Bagirzade (a political prisoner sentenced to 20 years in prison). S. Aliyev answered that he had been practicing namaz for a long time, and he had never known or connected to Tale Bagirzade. Nonetheless, he was handed a bag with drugs that he should pretend as his own one. S. Aliyev did not accept it, and as a result he was beaten by the officers of the Department. He suffered from bruises on his abdomen and a swelling in the area of his ribs due to the brutal beatings. After that, they made a video recording, during which he had been given a bag with drugs. Unable to withstand the torture, Subhi Aliyev admitted it as his own.