NGO Case Defendant Asaf Ahmadov Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison

On June 17, the Ganja Court for Grave Crimes announced its verdict in the case of civil society activist Asaf Ahmadov, who was prosecuted in connection with the so-called "NGO Case."

According to the court's ruling, Ahmadov, the head of the Ganja Regional Community Center, was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment.

Asaf Ahmadov was arrested in April 2025 as part of the renewed investigation known as the "NGO Case." He rejects the charges against him and maintains that the prosecution is linked to his civic activism.

Arrests in the "NGO Case" began in March 2025. At that time, Bashir Suleymanli, head of the Institute for Civil Rights, and Mammad Alpay (Mammadzade), Executive Director of the Election Monitoring Alliance, were placed in pre-trial detention.

In April 2025, civil society activist Asaf Ahmadov, social worker Zamin Zaki, and Ahmad Mammadzade were also arrested within the framework of the same criminal case. Galib Bayramov and Nargiz Mukhtarova were placed under police supervision as a preventive measure.

The defendants have been charged under Articles 193-1.2.2 (money laundering committed repeatedly), 193-1.2.3 (money laundering committed through the abuse of an official position), 193-1.3.2 (money laundering involving a significant amount of assets), 308.1 (abuse of official powers), and 313 (official forgery) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

The defendants in the “NGO Case” reject all charges and state that the criminal proceedings are connected to their civil society and public activities.

Local human rights defenders and several international organizations have expressed concern about the case, arguing that the prosecution may be politically motivated.

The "NGO Case" is widely regarded as one of the largest criminal investigations targeting civil society activists in Azerbaijan in recent years.