UIA-IROL Expresses Deep Concern over the Detention and Criminal Prosecution of Azerbaijani Lawyer and Human Rights Defender Zabil Gahramanov

The Institute for the Rule of Law of the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA-IROL) expresses its deep concern regarding the detention and criminal prosecution of Mr Zabil Gahramanov, a licensed Azerbaijani lawyer and human rights defender, which appear to be directly linked to his legitimate professional activities and public criticism of unlawful police practices in Azerbaijan.

UIA-IROL has been informed that in October 2025, Mr Zabil Gahramanov, a lawyer enrolled with the Ganja Divisional Bar Bureau, was detained by the Ganja General Police Department in connection with a criminal case initiated against him. Mr Gahramanov is a well-known provincial lawyer who has long represented victims of human rights violations, including political prisoners and individuals alleging torture and fabricated criminal charges.

According to the information received, on 8 October 2025, shortly before his arrest, the Board of the Azerbaijani Bar Association (BCA) suspended Mr Gahramanov’s licence for a period of six months, following disciplinary proceedings initiated upon a complaint submitted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The complaint concerned a public statement published by Mr Gahramanov in June 2025, in which he criticised unlawful police practices in Ganja.

According to reports, on 23 October 2025, the Ganja General Police Department opened a criminal case against Mr Gahramanov on charges of aggravated fraud and aggravated hooliganism and arrested him on the same day. On 25 October 2025, he was formally charged and remanded in custody for three months by the Ganja City Court. This decision was upheld by the Ganja Court of Appeal on 28 October 2025.

On 19 January 2026, the Sabail District Court ordered a further extension of his pre-trial detention for an additional two months, while new charges were brought against him. The investigation was subsequently transferred to the Main Investigation and Inquiry Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Mr Gahramanov was transferred to a pre-trial detention facility in Baku.

UIA-IROL is gravely concerned that the criminal proceedings against Mr Gahramanov constitute a form of retaliation for his work as a defence lawyer and human rights defender, as well as for his exercise of freedom of expression in matters of public interest related to the administration of justice and police conduct.

UIA-IROL further notes with concern serious doubts that have been raised about the impartiality of the proceedings and irregularities in the investigation that have been pointed out by the defense. 

The case of Mr Zabil Gahramanov must be assessed against the backdrop of well-documented, systemic deficiencies affecting the independence of the legal profession in Azerbaijan, which have been the subject of increasing scrutiny by international human rights mechanisms.

In April 2025, the Independent Lawyers Network (ILN) submitted a Rule 9.2 communication to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in the framework of the Namazov v. Azerbaijan group of cases. The submission detailed persistent failures by the Azerbaijani authorities to execute the European Court of Human Rights’ judgments concerning the independence of lawyers, highlighting the misuse of disciplinary proceedings, the lack of institutional independence of the Bar Association, and the absence of effective safeguards against retaliation targeting lawyers with critical or independent professional profiles.

In parallel, the European Court of Human Rights, in a series of recent judgments — Afgan Mammadov v. Azerbaijan[1], Farhad Mehdiyev v. Azerbaijan[2], and Imanov v. Azerbaijan[3] — found that disciplinary sanctions and disbarments imposed on lawyers by the Azerbaijani Bar Association stemmed from abusive disciplinary proceedings targeting lawyers for their critical views and professional activities, in violation of Articles 8 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Court underlined the chilling effect of such measures on the legal profession and the broader implications for access to justice and the right to a fair trial.

Despite these judgments, the situation has further deteriorated. As documented in the Follow-Up Submission to the UN Committee against Torture (UNCAT) of 30 October 2025, submitted by ILN and OMCT[4], legal safeguards for lawyers have sharply declined since the adoption of UNCAT’s Concluding Observations in May 2024. Lawyers defending political prisoners, journalists and victims of torture continue to face harassment, arbitrary detention, suspension from practice and obstruction of access to clients.

UIA-IROL further notes with concern that, while lawyers in Azerbaijan have historically been targeted primarily through disciplinary proceedings and disbarment, the criminal prosecution of a licensed lawyer represents a troubling escalation. Such developments risk creating a chilling effect on the legal profession, undermining access to legal assistance and discouraging lawyers from defending victims of human rights violations.

UIA-IROL recalls that Azerbaijan is bound by its international obligations under, inter alia, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which guarantee the right to liberty and security of person, the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial, and freedom of expression.[5]

UIA-IROL further recalls the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, in particular Principle 16, which provides that governments shall ensure that lawyers are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference, and shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or other sanctions for actions taken in accordance with recognised professional duties. Principle 23 further affirms that lawyers are entitled to freedom of expression and have the right to take part in public discussion on matters concerning the law and the promotion and protection of human rights.[6]

UIA-IROL also recalls the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation No. R(2000)21 on the freedom of exercise of the profession of lawyer, which requires States to ensure that lawyers are not subject to sanctions or pressure for actions taken in accordance with their professional duties.[7]

All the guarantees indicated here above are expressly enshrined in the recently adopted Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer[8].

In light of the above, UIA-IROL: 

• Calls upon the Azerbaijani relevant authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mr Zabil Gahramanov, cease all forms of judicial and non-judicial harassment against him, and reinstate his Bar membership, allowing him to work without undue government interference;  
• Urges the Azerbaijani judicial authorities to ensure full respect for the right to liberty, the presumption of innocence, and fair trial guarantees, including effective judicial scrutiny of pre-trial detention;  
• Calls for an end to the misuse of criminal law and disciplinary mechanisms as tools of retaliation against lawyers and human rights defenders;  
• Stresses the urgent need to ensure the independence of the legal profession and of the Bar Association in Azerbaijan, in line with international standards.

UIA-IROL expresses its full support and solidarity with Mr Zabil Gahramanov and with all lawyers in Azerbaijan who continue to defend human rights and the rule of law despite increasing pressure.

UIA-IROL will continue to monitor the situation closely and calls upon the international legal community to remain vigilant and mobilised in defence of the independence of the legal profession and the protection of lawyers’ fundamental rights in Azerbaijan.