The prosecution has requested a long prison sentence for Azerbaijani activist Zamin Zyaki.
The state prosecutor proposed sentencing social activist Zamiah Zyaki to 8 years in prison. Zyaki himself does not admit guilt.
As "Caucasian Knot" reported, in October 2005, a Baku court refused to terminate criminal proceedings against Zamin Zyaki, who was arrested in a case against members of non-governmental organizations. The defense stated that there was no evidence of the activist's guilt.
On April 9, the head of the Ganja Regional Community Center, Asef Akhmedov, and social expert Zamin Zyaki were taken to the Investigative Department of the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan, where they were charged with economic crimes. They were arrested as part of a renewed case against a number of Azerbaijani and foreign NGOs. The activists are charged with "official forgery," "abuse of office," and "money laundering." Investigators are looking into their ties to Western donors, including USAID. The latter's activities in Azerbaijan were suspended by a government decision in February 2025.
Yesterday, March 4, the state prosecutor delivered his closing arguments in the Zyaki case at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, presided over by Judge Elmin Rustamov. The prosecutor proposed an eight-year prison sentence for Zyaki, finding him guilty on all three counts of criminal indictment: "money laundering," "abuse of office," and "official forgery," a Caucasian Knot correspondent was told in court.
Zyaki does not plead guilty, his lawyer, Gunay Ismayilova, told a Caucasian Knot correspondent. According to her, Zyaki is accused of illegally receiving grants, which qualifies as "money laundering."
Zyaki participated in civil society projects as a social worker, the lawyer noted. Therefore, according to the defense, he cannot be charged with official crimes" since his activities were public.
As for the charge of legalization of criminally obtained income, which the prosecution classified the use of grants as, the lawyer emphasized that there is no criminal liability for failure to register grant agreements; such actions can be classified at most as an administrative offense.
At the next hearing, the defense will make its final presentation, insisting on an acquittal, Ismayilova said.
"The criminal case against local and foreign NGOs was opened back in 2014. Then there was a wave of arrests of well-known human rights activists. They were subsequently released early, and the case was suspended. But in March of this year (2025), the case was reopened, and it acquired the scale of a campaign against the remnants of civil society. More than 100 people were involved in the investigation, including even representatives of pro-government NGOs, as well as employees representative offices of international donor organizations. Most were questioned with a warning of further summonses, but more than 10 individuals were charged, some in absentia, because they had already fled the country," a legal expert who wished to remain anonymous said earlier.