AKIF GURBANOV

About Akif Gurbanov

Akif Gurbanov was born on 3 August 1981 in the Sagarejo district, Georgia. Later, his family moved to Azerbaijan. He graduated from the Faculty of Preventive Medicine at the Azerbaijan Medical University in 2006. In 2008, Gurbanov graduated from the Baku Political Knowledge school, which operated under the auspices of the Council of Europe. Between 2013 and 2016, he earned a second bachelor’s degree in law from the Karazin Kharkiv National University.

In 2024, he was nominated and shortlisted for the 2024 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize in recognition of his efforts and dedication to civil society in Azerbaijan.

Akif Gurbanov began his political activities whilst a student, joining the Umid Party in 2002. Between 2002 and 2005, he served as the party’s Deputy Chair for Youth Affairs, and in 2005 and 2006, he led the party’s Central Election Headquarters. Following this, Akif Gurbanov was appointed a member of the Central Election Commission (CEC) based on the Umid Party’s nomination and served in this role for 10 years. In 2008, he participated in the Baku School of Political Studies Program under the Council of Europe.

He rose to prominence in 2015 after publicly denouncing the final election results for not living up to international standards and refusing to sign them.

In 2013, Gurbanov founded the Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI) to support the human rights space and independent media. The Ministry of Justice rejected the Institute for Democratic Initiatives’ (IDI) repeated requests for state registration since its establishment, and Azerbaijani courts upheld the ruling. In 2016, IDI responded by bringing its case before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The Court ruled in favour of IDI on 20 May 2021, finding that Azerbaijan arbitrarily denied the group legal status, thereby violating its right to freedom of association.

Gurbanov has also actively participated in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) processes. In 2016, he was elected as a member of the Council of the NGO Coalition for Increasing Transparency in the Extractive Industries, which comprised over 100 organisations. However, on 9 March 2017, the Global EITI Board suspended Azerbaijan’s status due to issues related to the civil society environment, after which the Azerbaijani government withdrew from the initiative.

In February 2016, as Azerbaijan’s socio-economic and political crisis deepened, Akif Gurbanov became one of the co-founders and active participants of the Civil Society Platform (CSP), an initiative aimed at uniting civil society activities and broadening its influence on ongoing processes.

In December 2023, Gurbanov co-founded the III Republic Platform, a political movement advocating for democratic transition, good governance, and decentralisation. Gurbanov claimed to have been followed and to have been afraid of being arrested after the III Republic Platform was launched, as part of a larger crackdown on civil society.

On 6 March 2024, Akif Gurbanov and other members of the Platform’s Founding Board, including Ruslan Izzatli and “Toplum TV” co-founder Alasgar Mammadli, were arrested in connection with a joint criminal case. They were charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling committed by a group in prior collusion).

Akif Gurbanov denies the charges, asserting that they are fabricated and that he is being punished for his political activities. He has also reported facing threats and pressure while in detention.

Case description

Following the arrest and a police raid on his office on 8 March 2024, a court remanded Gurbanov for four months. Since the date of his arrest, his pre-trial detention has been extended several times. In addition to his arrest, his property has been seized.

In June 2024, while in pre-trial detention, Gurbanov was reportedly harassed and threatened with torture by officials.

On 17 January 2025, the prosecution amended charges against Gurbanov and expanded he indictment to include illegal entrepreneurship, large-scale money laundering, and tax evasion. If convicted, he might face a 12-year prison sentence.

On 2 April 2025, the preliminary hearing for his trial began at the Baku Court on Grave Crimes. Gurbanov offered to remain in custody if the other defendants were released, stating he should be the only one detained if he was the “leader” of the alleged group. Late in June 2025, the reading of the indictment concluded. All defendants, including Gurbanov, denied the charges, calling them politically motivated.

International human rights organisations and the Council of Europe have condemned his arrest. They argue his prosecution is an attempt to silence a government critic and have called for his immediate release.