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”It became evident that the victims in Rasul Jafarov’s case were either unaware of why they were victims or directly stated that the accused person never did them any harm”. The past months international observers have been attending the trial of Azerbaijani human rights activist, Rasul Jafarov, in Baku Court on Grave Crimes.

Women human rights defenders challenge gender inequality and stereotypes, advance sexual and reproductive rights, and promote women’s empowerment and participation in society. They often challenge religious and cultural norms and patriarchal attitudes that subordinate, stigmatize or restrict women.

On February 24, discussion of the criminal case against Rasul Jafarov, founder of the Human Rights Club, was renewed in the Baku Court on Grave Crimes. The Azerbaijan human rights defender, which was declared prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, was brought to the court with handcuffs, just like detainees accused of grave crimes. Before the trial started the handcuffs were removed from him, but during the 15-minute break he was taken from the courtroom with handcuffs on his hands.

On Tuesday, 17 February, the Russian lawyer Illarion Vasiliev observed the hearing of the human rights lawyer Intigam Aliyev at the Court of Grave Crimes in Baku, Azerbaijan. The testimony illustrates what a courtroom in Azerbaijan looks like and how justice is conducted against one of the leaders of the Azerbaijani civil society, arrested in August 2014 in the midst of an unprecedented repression against civil society.

Azerbaijan Court started the substantial hearing of Rasul Jafarov’s case, a famous Azerbaijan human rights defender. On February 10, the accused person and three victims were questioned at the trial in the Baku Court on Grave Crimes. However, many questions remained unclear after the process. It is noteworthy that there were no links between the case materials and victim testimonies. The character of Azerbaijan court hearings is also very significant.

On February 3, substantial hearing into the criminal case against famous Azerbaijan human rights defender Intigam Aliyev started with an unexpected decision of the court collegium at the Baku Court on Grave Crimes. Straight after the trial started, the judge ordered to release the human rights defender from the cage without any solicitations from the parties. A rusty lock clanged and Intigam Aliyev was allowed to sit next to his lawyers in the courtroom. The audience greeted the political prisoner with applauses.

On January 27, a preparatory hearing was held in Baku Grave Crimes Court, on the case of human rights defender, founder and chairman of Human Rights Club Rasul Jafarov.

We are concerned about the oppression on civil society organizations. Crack-down on the part of CSOs, who aim to defend democratic values, promote freedom and equality as well as creation of European systems of the governance, has become particularly active lately.

Former Prime Minister statement not in line with the practice of democratic governance.