Bashir Suleymanly – Head of the Civil Rights Institute Arrested: 14 March 2025 Charge: Articles 193-1.3.2 (Legalization of money or other property obtained by crime, committed in large amount); 308.2 (Abusing official powers, which caused grave consequences) and 313 (Official forgery) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic.
On 14 March 2025, the Baku City Binagadi District Court issued a ruling: to satisfy the investigator's petition to elect a measure of restraint in the form of arrest and impose on Bashir Suleymanly a measure of restraint in the form of arrest for a period of 3 months and 28 days.
The period of detention in custody during the investigation has been subsequently extended times 41 Place of detention: Pre-trial Detention Center № 1 at the Kyurdakhani settlement in Baku City Sabunchu District Conclusion: In early March 2025, the pro-government media announced that the General Prosecutor's Office had initiated the criminal proceedings against those non-governmental organisations in Azerbaijan that had received grants on behalf of Western international donors in previous years.
According to the General Prosecutor's Office, the funds from the grants received on behalf of the international organisations were spent ‘to undermine socio-political stability’ under the pretext of ‘legal protection’ of vulnerable population groups, as well as to promote an anti-war ideology, LGBT propaganda and other ‘ultra-liberals’ , and conduct counter-narratives against mind-set-values.
Bashir Suleymanly was arrested as one of them on 14 March 2025.
In May 2014, Bashir Suleymanly had already been arrested and sentenced for “illegal entrepreneurship” and “tax evasion” to 3 years and 6 months of imprisonment.
In March 2015, Mr.
Suleymanly was released by decree of pardon.
Now, there is a second arrest on virtually the same charges.
On 19 March 2025, the Baku City Court of Appeal considered Suleymanly's appeal regarding his arrest, as one of the activist's peers informed: "The defense argued that there are no grounds for Bashir Suleymanly's criminal prosecution, and even less for his detention.
There is not a single piece of evidence against him, the accusation is made up of the investigator's subjective assumptions.
Bashir said that he did not plead guilty to the charges.
He claimed that the criminal case was tied to his legal and human rights activities".
