The Court of Appeal in Baku rejected the request of the head of the Center for Monitoring Elections and Democratic Education Anar Mammadli to be transferred from a pre-trial detention center to house arrest. The prisoner denied the charges of smuggling brought against him and linked the criminal case with his social and human rights activities.

Earlier, international organizations and the US State Department called on the Azerbaijani government to release Anar Mammadli and other imprisoned journalists and activists.

According to the defense, Mammadli’s accusation is based on general information about the export of foreign currency outside customs control from Baku airport in 2021-2024. At the same time, the lawyers indicated that there is no possibility of exporting or importing unregistered currency due to careful customs control of persons and luggage.

In 2014, Anar Mammadli was sentenced to five and a half years on charges of tax evasion and illegal business. Two years later he was pardoned. President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree releasing 148 prisoners, including 10 prisoners of conscience. In 2014, PACE awarded Anar Mammadli the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize.