21 January 2025, 23:17
Defence of scientist Gubad Ibadoglu claims violation of his rights by police
Gubad Ibadoglu, an opposition politician, scientist and economist, has to regularly report to the police station in the city of Sumgait under the conditions of police supervision, although he lives in Baku, and regular trips negatively affect his health.
On April 22, 2024, the court transferred Ibadoglu to house arrest. This happened after a group of American congressmen proposed to impose sanctions against Azerbaijan. Ibadoglu underwent an examination that confirmed the need for urgent surgery, but the court refused to allow him to leave Azerbaijan for treatment.
Ibadoglu was arrested in July 2023 and charged under the article on the manufacture, purchase or sale of counterfeit money or securities committed by an organized group, for which he faces up to 12 years of freedom deprivation. On August 25, 2023, Ibadoglu was charged with a new accusation of religious extremism.
In the winter season, Ibadoglu moved from his dacha (summer house) on the Absheron Peninsula to his apartment in Baku, but he has to regularly report to the police in Sumgait, said his brother Galib Bairamov.
"Travelling twice a week for 40 kilometres one way and then back creates inconvenience for him, because of health problems, since doctors recommend him to spend as much time as possible in calmness, especially since he is not allowed to travel abroad for a complex heart surgery," Galib Bairamov has explained.
Zibeida Sadygova, an advocate, has pointed to the violation of Ibadoglu's rights due to the police's refusal to change his regular registration place. She also stated the unjustified deactivation of Ibadoglu's ID card (passport). She treated this as an unprecedented case in the practice of Azerbaijan and "interference in one’s private life."
The European Parliament has nominated Gubad Ibadoglu for the Andrei Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought for his contribution to the defence of human rights. On November 24, 2024, he received an invitation from the European Parliament’s head to take part in the presentation ceremony in Strasbourg, but the court in Baku once again refused to allow him to go abroad.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 21, 2025 at 11:35 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Faik Medjid Source: СK correspondent
