Former diplomat accuses Azerbaijani authorities of fabricated charges

Emin Ibrahimov, a former diplomat who has served at the Azerbaijani embassy in the United States and in Uruguay, has been charged with two criminal counts.

His lawyer, Agil Lajic, informed Meydan TV that Ibrahimov, who was detained two days ago, now faces charges under Articles 126.2.4 (deliberate harm to health with hooliganism) and 221.1 (hooliganism) of the Criminal Code.

On July 24, Ibrahimov was accused of injuring Kamal Shukurov with a knife near the “Friendship of Peoples” metro station. However, Ibrahimov denies the charges, claiming they are fabricated. He asserts that on July 22, while he was at his apartment near the metro station, an individual approached him and began tearing his clothes. Following this, plainclothes police officers appeared, detained him, and took him to the 24th police station of the Nizami district, where he was accused of stabbing Shukurov.

Ibrahimov’s lawyer suggests that his client’s arrest is linked to his critical stance toward the government. Ibrahimov is expected to appear in Nizami District Court soon, where a decision on his pretrial detention will be made.

Elshad Hajiyev, head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ press service, stated that Ibrahimov was detained for injuring another person with a knife, noting, “Such an incident happened. The person who was injured by a knife was admitted to the hospital.”

This is not the first time Ibrahimov has faced legal issues. In September 2023, he was sentenced to 30 days of administrative detention, which he claimed was due to his critical posts on Facebook.

Several activists in Azerbaijan have faced similar charges in recent years, often claiming innocence and suggesting that injuries were self-inflicted as part of a deliberate script. Among those accused are Zamin Salayev, a member of the Azerbaijan People’s Front Party (APFP), Samir Ashurov, an activist who protested against the Azerbaijani government in Germany, and Afieddin Mammadov, chairman of the Board of the Workers’ Table Trade Unions Confederation.

Salayev, for instance, has repeatedly demanded that security camera footage from the Lokbatan district, where his alleged incident occurred, be reviewed. He contends that the footage would show he did not injure anyone and that the supposed victim harmed themselves. However, it was reported that none of the eight cameras in the area were operational at the time.