Lachin Valiyev – public activist Date of arrest: 26 January 2022 Charge: Articles 178.2.2 (Swindle, is maintaining another persons property or buying another persons property by a deceit or breach of confidence, committed repeatedly); 178.2.4 (Swindle, is maintaining another persons property or buying another persons property by a deceit or breach of confidence, committed with causing damage in the significant size) and 234.4.3 (Illegal manufacturing, purchase, storage, transportation, transfer or selling of narcotics, psychotropic substances or their precursors committed in large amount) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic.
Sentence: On 29 April 2022, the Baku City Grave Crimes Court sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison Place of detention: Penal Colony № 17 at the Bina settlement in Baku City Azizbayov District Conclusion: Lachin Valiyev, a former member of the opposition "Musavat" Party, then a supporter of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), on 20 March 2021 was arrested on charges of fraud by the officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Then, he was also accused of drug trafficking.
According to his lawyer, Nemat Karimli, "At the beginning, Lachin Valiyev did not have a lawyer of his choice, the activist was simply deprived of that opportunity.
I just joined the defence a few days later after the arrest.
Lachin Valiyev does not plead guilty.
His plea was taken under pressure“. 46 According to Rufat Safarov, the Head of the organisation "Line of Defence", Lachin Valiyev was subjected to severe pressure and torture.
He was forced to testify against Bakhtiyar Imanov, a member of the PFPA Board.
But when Valiyev refused to do so, he was blackmailed with a video concerning his family, "When he was shown video footage of his intimate life with his wife, he fainted.
Later he said that he had been ready to sign any plea in order to prevent the video from being made public".
On 21 September 2023, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) adopted a decision in the case of Lachin Valiyev v.
Azerbaijan on the unjustified arrest and detention of Valiyev for the period of investigation, in which it recognised the violation of L.
Valiyev's rights "to liberty and inviolability" and demanded to provide compensation in the amount of 3,500 euros.
Even though the Azerbaijani government responded by agreeing to pay the compensation, L.Valiyev's family was unable to get it.
On 25 May 2024, Lachin Valiyev declared a hunger strike as a sign of protest.
