In Baku pre-trial detention center No. 1, lawyer Elmar Suleymanov met with the head of the Center for Monitoring Elections and Democratic Education, famous human rights activist Anar Mammadli. The latter rejected the charges brought against him of currency smuggling by prior conspiracy. Let us remind you that journalists from the independent media Abzas Media and Toplum TV were previously arrested under this article.

According to the defense, the charge against Mammadli was 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.

International organizations Amnesty International for the South Caucasus and the Norwegian House of Human Rights called on official Baku to release Anar Mammadli. They said the country's authorities were trying to silence government critics.

Rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Azerbaijan expressed concern about the arrest of one of the leaders of civil society in Azerbaijan. In 2014, PACE awarded Anar Mammadli the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize.

That same year, 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.

This year, the human rights activist was detained on April 29. On April 30, the court sentenced him to 4 months of arrest.