BAKHTIYAR HAJIYEV

Prominent civic activist known for his vocal criticism of the government, social campaigns, and numerous arrests related to his activism and political involvement.

About Bakhtiyar Hajiyev

Bakhtiyar Hajiyev was born on 28 March 1982 in the Vardenis (Basarkechar) district of Armenia. 

He received his bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and cybernetics from Baku State University, Azerbaijan, in 2000, and later received master’s degrees in information technology and management from Khazar University, Azerbaijan, and in public administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, USA. 

In 2010, Hajiyev briefly worked as a consultant at the World Bank in Washington, DC, before returning to Azerbaijan. The same year, he unsuccessfully ran as a candidate for Azerbaijan’s National Assembly in the parliamentary elections. 

Shortly afterwards, in 2011, the Ganja District Court of Azerbaijan arrested Hajiyev and sentenced him to two years in prison on charges of evading military service. At the time, Hajiyev claimed that this accusation was a pretext and that the real reason for his arrest was his political activities and his exposure of human rights violations and official misconduct via social media.  

Hajiyev’s imprisonment was condemned by the US government, with a group of US senators demanding his release. After fifteen months in prison, he was released before completing his sentence, days before then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Baku, where she met with Hajiyev and, separately, the Azerbaijani president.  

In the years that followed, Hajiyev founded the Positive Change youth organisation, rallying young people to address public issues and launching several social campaigns, including “Say No to Bribery” and “Let’s Not Stay Silent” against rising utility costs.

He later established the Caspian Platform, facilitating public lectures and training for youth. 

In February 2020, Hajiyev again ran for parliament, but remained unsuccessful. He claimed that the election results had been falsified in favour of the pro-government candidate, Nigar Arpadarai. 

Hajiyev had a public dispute with blogger Ulviya Alovlu (Muradova), leading both to file complaints against each other. Investigations into the matter initially took place at the Police Department of Yasamal district, but were later transferred to the Main Police Department of Baku City. 

Hajiyev repeatedly petitioned Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, requesting that the authorities hold Alovlu accountable. Frustrated by the lack of action, he criticised the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vilayat Eyvazov, on social media and even attempted suicide in front of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 

On 21 April 2022, Hajiyev was abducted and attacked by masked individuals in central Baku. His abductors demanded the deletion of his social media posts through insults and force. Despite filing a complaint with the police, the case yielded no results, and those responsible for the attack were not brought to justice.

Bakhtiyar Hajiyev<br />
A prominent public activist known for his vocal criticism of the government, social campaigns, and numerous arrests related to his activism and political involvement.<br />

On 9 December 2022, Hajiyev was summoned for questioning at the Main Police Department of Baku City and was soon detained and charged. The Khatai District Court in Baku ordered his pre-trial detention the same day. 

In protest against his detention, Hajiyev went on hunger strike on 15 December, which lasted fourteen days. He resumed his hunger strike on 9 January 2023, and only ended it after fifty-one days at the insistence of his family and friends. 

During his second hunger strike, Hajiyev’s private communications were targeted in a cyber-attack, with his private conversations being accessed and leaked on social media.  

Initially charged under Articles 221.2.2 (hooliganism with resistance to a person responsible for public order) and 289.1 (contempt of court) of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code, related to the incident with Ulviya Alovlu at the Yasamal District Court, additional charges were later brought against Hajiyev. These included Articles 192 (illegal entrepreneurship), 193-1 (legalisation of criminally obtained property), 206 (smuggling), 213 (tax evasion) and 320 (forgery of documents or use of forged documents). It is alleged that Hajiyev received grants from international organisations and smuggled funds into Azerbaijan. 

Hajiyev is currently being held at the Baku pre-trial detention centre in Kurdakhani. His case has been under review at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes for over eight months. Hajiyev rejects all charges, claiming that his arrest was politically motivated and that he is being punished for criticising Interior Minister Vilayat Eyvazov.

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BAKHTIYAR HAJIYEV - public activist
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