Court hearing held for Bashir Suleymanli in NGO-related case

A new hearing was held at the Baku Grave Crimes Court, chaired by Judge Vugar Seyidov, in the case of Bashir Suleymanli, head of the Institute for Civil Rights and a human rights defender. In his statement, Suleymanli rejected the charges against him and said that his activities had been carried out within the framework of the law.

He stated that, with funding received from USAID through the German Marshall Fund of the United States, free legal assistance had been provided in the regions to war-affected individuals, families of fallen soldiers, and Karabakh veterans. He noted that materials documenting these activities remain available on his organization’s website and that some were submitted to the court. Suleymanli also told the court that certain state institutions had likewise received USAID funding.

The court rejected a motion to send an inquiry to the British Embassy. Witness Samir Kazimli testified that Suleymanli had not committed any legal violations.

The next hearing has been scheduled for March 12. Bashir Suleymanli was arrested in March 2025 as part of a criminal case opened in connection with NGOs.