Zabil Kochari oglu Qahramanov – lawyer Date of arrest: 23 October 2025 Charge: Articles 178.2.4 (Swindle, that 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 221.2.2 (Hooliganism committed with resistance to representative of the authority, acting as on protection of a social order or stopping infringement of a social order or with resistance to other person) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic.
On 25 October 2025, the Baku City Khatai District Court issued a ruling: to apply a preventive measure against Zabil Qahramanov in the form of arrest for a period of 3 months.
Place of detention: Pre-trial Detention Center № 2 of the Ganja City Conclusion: According to the official indictment, Zabir Qahramanov was arrested by the police following two complaints filed by some citizens.
One of them claimed that Qahramanov had started a fight at a car wash in the village of Gulistan, and seriously injured Fazil Iskandarov.
In another statement, Emin Ibrahimov accused Qahramanov of taking 5,600 manats ($3,300 US) from the plaintiff and embezzling the money.
In reality, the reason for his arrest was Qahramanov's professional activities.
He is an experienced and well-known lawyer who worked at the Ganja District Bar Association for a long time and became famous for his advocacy and human rights work.
He defended many political prisoners and often raised the issue on the unlawful actions committed by the local police.
In June 2025, Z.
Qahramanov once again published a critical text on his Facebook page, in which he pointed out on the Ganja police leadership illegal actions, he wrote, 44 "They openly rob people, blackmail them and demand bribes.
The residents are increasingly outraged by the actions carried out by the Ganja police." Then, he shared a few concrete examples of the Ganja police illegal behaviour.
That text attracted public attention and was shared on Facebook opposition Azadliq media outlet's page.
In response, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs filed a complaint with the Azerbaijan Bar Association (ABA), demanding disciplinary measures against Z.
Qahramanov and his suspension from practicing law in connection with his critical remarks.
The ABA Disciplinary Commission conducted a disciplinary investigation and recommended imposing disciplinary sanctions on him for violating professional ethics.
On 8 October 2025, the ABA Board suspended Z.
Qahramanov's licence for six months as a disciplinary measure in accordance with the recommendation of the Disciplinary Commission.
After that, he was arrested on trumped-up charges, which Z.
Qahramanov categorically denied at the trial.
Interesting to note that the police also referred to a confidential letter as part of the evidence for arresting the well-known lawyer, in which it was alleged that Z.
Qahramanov had been cooperating with the exiled journalists, and in particular with the editor-in-chief Ganimat Zahid from the opposition media outlet Azadliq, providing them with information about the police's conduct.
GROUP № 3 MEMBERS OF OPPOSITION PARTIES AND CIVIL SOCIETY – 44 persons
