08:47, 3 September 2026

The prosecution requested a lengthy sentence for the Azerbaijani activist

The prosecutor asked the court to sentence the head of the NGO "Law and Development" Hafiz Gasanov to nine years in prison with a suspended sentence and a five-year probation period. Gasanov, accused in a case concerning the activities of local and foreign NGOs, did not plead guilty and intends to ask the court for full acquittal.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", the head of the NGO "Law and Development" Hafiz Gasanov was charged in the updated case against several local and foreign NGOs in March 2025. Initially, he was taken into custody. However, after some time, the measure of restraint was changed to house arrest.

The criminal case against local and foreign NGOs was opened back in 2014. "At that time, there was a wave of arrests of well-known human rights defenders. Subsequently, they were released early, and the case was suspended. But in March 2025, the case was resumed, and it took on the scale of a campaign against the remnants of civil society. More than 100 people were involved in the investigation, including representatives of pro-government NGOs and employees of international donor organizations. Most were interrogated with warnings of new summonses, but more than 10 individuals were charged, some in absentia, as they managed to leave the country," - earlier said a legal expert.

On September 2, in the Baku Serious Crimes Court, the final speech of the prosecutor took place in the case of the head of the NGO "Law and Development" Hafiz Gasanov. The prosecutor proposed to sentence Gasanov to 9 years in prison conditionally with a five-year probation period, a lawyer observing the process told the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

"Hafiz Gasanov asked for time to prepare for his final statement. During the court proceedings, he rejected all the charges against him. He is accused of processing grants received by the LLC LD Konsaltinq he heads from donor organizations under service contracts. However, he provided specific legal services that were part of civil society projects. Hafiz Gasanov is a professional lawyer, a member of the bar association. Moreover, there can be no question of crimes under the articles 'Legalization of property in a significant amount obtained by criminal means', 'Abuse of official powers resulting in serious consequences', and 'Official forgery'. The funds were received officially through the bank. In this case, Hafiz Gasanov acted not as an official, but as an individual entrepreneur. Furthermore, under the article on forgery, the statute of limitations for prosecution has expired. Hafiz Gasanov will ask for acquittal," said the lawyer, who wished to remain anonymous.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", in the case against local and foreign NGOs in 2026, several activists were convicted. Nargiz Mukhtarova was sentenced to a conditional punishment, Zamina Zaki and Asef Akhmedov received real sentences.

Translated automatically via OpenAI from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/426300