Azerbaijan Activist Sentenced Amidst Political Tensions

Rufat Safarov, an Azerbaijani rights activist and former prosecutor, has been sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of hooliganism and fraud. Critics, including his lawyer, claim the charges are politically motivated. This case adds to Azerbaijan's strained human rights relations with Western nations.

An Azerbaijani court has sentenced prominent rights activist Rufat Safarov to eight years in prison, finding him guilty of hooliganism and fraud. His lawyer, Rovshana Rahimova, plans to appeal, arguing the case is politically charged.

Safarov, a former prosecutor turned activist leading the Defense Line group, was previously imprisoned for bribery but was pardoned in 2019 by President Ilham Aliyev.

The sentencing has intensified international criticism of Azerbaijan's human rights record, with Western nations condemning the government for its treatment of independent journalists and political activists. Baku, however, dismisses these allegations, claiming Western calls for the release of detainees interfere with its judicial sovereignty.