Court Hands Suspended Sentence to Nargiz Mukhtarova in the “NGO Case”

On July 9, the Baku Court for Grave Crimes held the final hearing in the criminal case against civil society activist Nargiz Mukhtarova, who is being prosecuted in the so-called "NGO case."

During the hearing, the state prosecutor requested that Mukhtarova be sentenced to eight years in prison, with the sentence suspended and a four-year probation period imposed.

At the hearing, presided over by Judge Leyla Asgarova-Mammadova, the verdict was announced. The court sentenced Nargiz Mukhtarova to seven years and six months of imprisonment, suspended with a three-year probation period.

Arrests and prosecutions in the "NGO case" began in March 2025. At that time, Mukhtarova was placed under police supervision as a preventive measure. She has been charged under Articles 193-1.3.2 (legalization of a significant amount of property obtained through criminal means), 308.1 (abuse of official powers), and 313 (official forgery) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

Nargiz Mukhtarova is the wife of Farid Mehralizade, a journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Azerbaijani Service (Azadliq Radio), who was sentenced to nine years in prison in the "Abzas Media case."

The "NGO case" has resulted in the prosecution of a number of civil society representatives, as well as leaders and employees of non-governmental organizations. The defendants deny all charges, describing the criminal proceedings as politically motivated.