Azerbaijani Activist's Controversial Conviction Spurs Global Criticism

Azerbaijani human rights activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for charges he claims are politically motivated. His lawyer plans to appeal. The case has drawn international criticism and raised concerns over Azerbaijan's human rights record and crackdown on civil society.

A prominent Azerbaijani human rights activist, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, received a 10-year prison sentence from a Baku court on Monday, sparking widespread controversy and concern. His lawyer, Elchin Sadigov, announced plans to appeal the decision, indicating dissatisfaction with the outcome. Hajiyev has staunchly denied the charges, describing them as politically retaliatory.

Initially arrested in December 2022 on hooliganism and contempt of court charges, Hajiyev faced additional accusations in June for financial misconduct, including grant embezzlement and tax evasion. He claims these are actions meant to punish his criticism of Azerbaijan's government, and human rights organizations label him a political prisoner.

Amidst Azerbaijan's rebuttal of Western human rights criticism, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for the release of detained activists and voiced worry about the increasing suppression of civil society and media in the oil-rich nation, which recently hosted a U.N. climate summit.

(With inputs from agencies.)