Human-rights defender and executive director of the “Defense Line” human-rights organization, Rufat Safarov’s preliminary investigation has been completed.
According to a report, Rufat Safarov and his defense team are currently reviewing the criminal case.
Rufat Safarov’s criminal case will be sent to court in the near future.
The human-rights defender, R. Safarov, was arrested on 3 December 2024.
He has been charged under the Criminal Code with intentional infliction of bodily harm less than serious, fraud causing large-scale damage, and hooliganism.
R. Safarov, a former investigator at the Zardab District Prosecutor’s Office, resigned at the end of 2015 after accusing the Azerbaijani government of human rights violations and illegal activities in the country.
He was subsequently arrested on charges of bribery.
In September 2016, the Lankaran Court of Serious Crimes sentenced him to nine years in prison.
The former investigator rejected the charges against him. In 2019, he was released through a pardon decree. After his release, he began his human-rights advocacy work.