Gubad Ibadoglu was able to leave Azerbaijan for Germany for treatment.
Investigators in Baku lifted police supervision from economist Gubad Ibadoglu, after which he left Azerbaijan for Germany for medical examination and treatment. A final decision on the criminal case against Ibadoglu has not yet been made.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", in April 2024, the investigation into Gubad Ibadoglu's case was completed and the court placed him under house arrest. This happened after a group of American congressmen proposed to impose sanctions against Azerbaijan. Ibadoglu underwent a medical examination, which confirmed the need for urgent surgery, but the court twice refused to accept petitions requesting permission for Ibadoglu to leave Azerbaijan for treatment. On January 10, 2025, it became known that Gubad Ibadoglu's identity document was deactivated, despite being valid until 2031.
Ibadoglu was detained and arrested in July 2023 and charged under Article 204.3.1 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan (manufacturing, acquiring, or selling counterfeit money or securities committed by an organized group), for which he faces up to 12 years in prison. On August 25, 2023, a new charge was brought against Ibadoglu – religious extremism, according to the material "What the renowned scholar did to displease the Azerbaijani authorities", published on "Caucasian Knot".
The investigative body lifted the preventive measure of police supervision from economist Gubad Ibadoglu for humanitarian reasons. This allowed Ibadoglu to travel abroad for examination and treatment due to serious health issues, his lawyer Zibeyda Sadigova told a correspondent of “Caucasian Knot”. According to her, this morning Ibadoglu departed from Baku to Germany.
At the same time, the lawyer noted that there is no final decision on the criminal case against Ibadoglu. “Gubad Ibadoglu was given a pledge that he would not evade the investigation. He has gone to Germany, where he is likely to undergo heart surgery. There is no final decision on the criminal case. We hope that the case will be closed soon,” the lawyer said.
Information about Ibadoglu's departure from Azerbaijan and his arrival in Germany was also confirmed to a correspondent of “Caucasian Knot” by the economist's daughter, Jala Bayramova. It was not possible to obtain comments from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for “Caucasian Knot”.
“Caucasian Knot” also reported that on September 25, two Democratic senators and one Republican senator sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging to link the development of strategic partnership with Baku and the release of all political prisoners in the country. They pointed out the need to release individuals involved in high-profile criminal cases and to cease their prosecution. Among the eight individuals specifically named in the letter was Gubad Ibadoglu.