Tensions Rise in Azerbaijan Over Sentencing of Two Azerbaijani Men for Kidnapping and Beating an Armenian

Tensions continue to simmer in Azerbaijan following the sentencing of Azerbaijani nationals Misir Gasimli and Subkhan Guliyev, who were sentenced to 8 years in prison in Ukraine for kidnapping and beating an ethnic Armenian.

The Azerbaijani embassy has issued a statement in response to the sentencing of Gasimli and Guliyev, indicating that, “The embassy has worked to clarify the issue, raising concerns about the motivations behind the charges brought by individuals of Armenian descent, which have been accompanied by a number of biased actions and legal violations during the investigation and trial.”

“Letters expressing concern about this information have been sent by the embassy to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ten notes have been dispatched to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, and numerous letters have been addressed to other institutions, with the matter being closely monitored by the embassy. Upon receiving information on this issue, the embassy has participated in all meetings (except for one appeal meeting, of which the embassy had not been informed). The defense team is working on filing a review against the court's decision. The embassy continues to take all necessary measures within the framework of the law to ensure a fair process without intervening in court operations and judicial processes,” the statement added.

It is noteworthy that the trial in Ukraine involved two detained Azerbaijanis, one of whom participated in the 44-day Artsakh War.