The Court of Appeal left the head of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan in custody.

A Baku Court of Appeal upheld the refusal to transfer Ali Karimli, chairman of the opposition Popular Front Party (PFPA), to house arrest. The party considered the decision biased.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, on November 29, State Security Service officers detained Ali Karimli and his advisor, PFPA presidium member Mammad Ibrahim. Both opposition figures were arrested for two and a half months, until February 13. Karimli was charged under Article 278.1 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code (actions aimed at the violent seizure of power or the violent change of the constitutional order of the state). He denied the charge and called his criminal case political persecution. On December 5, the Baku Court of Appeals dismissed Karimli's arrest. On December 10, the Sabail District Court of Baku dismissed the defense's motion to transfer Karimli to house arrest.

The Baku Court of Appeal today heard the appeal against the denial of Karimli's request for house arrest, Seymur Hazi, deputy chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), told a Caucasian Knot correspondent.

"The court dismissed the appeal. This was an expected decision for us, given the authorities' hostile attitude toward the PFPA and the National Council of Democratic Forces (Ali Karimli is a member of this structure's coordinating council – Caucasian Knot). The court building, as in previous Karimli trials, was surrounded by police. Only a few members of our party were allowed into the Baku Court of Appeal. "We believe this is also a negative factor that hinders the fairness of the trial," Hazi said.

This situation is evidence of "an openly biased attitude toward Ali Karimli and a politically motivated order for his arrest," he noted. "Karimli continues to refuse to testify and deny the charges due to the absurdity of the criminal case against him. The PFPA also rejects these charges and believes that justice will prevail sooner or later, and Azerbaijan will become a democratic society," Hazi said.

They are attempting to link Ali Karimli to former head of the presidential administration Ramiz Mehdiyev," who was previously accused of "treason" and "planning a coup," PFPA press secretary Natig Adilov said earlier.

Former head of the presidential administration of Azerbaijan Ramiz Mehdiyev accused of attempting a coup. He is under house arrest. On November 29, the pro-government news agency APA linked the search of Ali Karimli's home to the Ramiz Mehdiyev case. A publication affiliated with the Popular Front Party (PFPA) denied this account.

On December 18, Murad Sultanli, Chairman of the Audit Commission of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, was placed under administrative arrest for 30 days. "The number of PFPA members arrested on fabricated, politically motivated criminal charges has reached 20," Adilov noted earlier.