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Trial begins for Sevinj Osmangizi, Abid Gafarov and Beydulla Manafov

30 December 2025 16:47 (UTC +04:00)

A trial has begun in the criminal case against Sevinj Mirzayeva (Osmangizi), Abid Gafarov and Beydulla Manafov, who are accused of making calls against the state, APA reports.

At today’s hearing held under the chairmanship of Judge Nigar Imanova at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, the personal details of the defendants were clarified.

The criminal case has been referred for judicial review, and the trial hearing has been scheduled for January 13.

It should be noted that a decision had been made to bring Sevinc Osman qizi Mirzayeva as an accused person under Article 281.2 of the Criminal Code. It was stated that she fled from the investigative authorities and hid abroad, and for that reason she was declared wanted on the same date in connection with the charges against her. By decision of the Binagadi District Court, a preventive measure of arrest in absentia was chosen against her.

On 18 September 2025, amendments and additions were made to the content of the charges, and a decision was adopted to bring Sevinc Mirzayeva as an accused person under Articles 220.2 and 281.2 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

According to that decision, in video appeals broadcast on 17 February 2019, 17 October 2019 and 25 July 2020 on the YouTube internet portal on the channel “Sevinc Osmanqizi TV,” which she operates, she influenced people’s will and encouraged them to oppose the existing authorities in Azerbaijan, which were formed and operate on a legal basis, through unlawful means, that is, by the use of force. By doing so, she made open calls, together with a group of persons acting with prior collusion and a single intent aimed at the forcible seizure of power in Azerbaijan, to actively disobey the lawful demands of representatives of authority or to participate in riots accompanied by violence. At the same time, she disseminated these videos of such content through internet resources accessible to an unlimited number of people. In addition, by joining together with Beydulla Anvar oglu Manafov and others as a group of persons acting with prior collusion, during dialogues on the same channel on 2 September 2023 and 13 January 2024, she supported the statements of persons with whom she shared a common criminal intent, thereby influencing people’s will and encouraging them to oppose the legally formed and functioning authorities in Azerbaijan by unlawful means, that is, through the use of force. In this way, she achieved open calls, by a group of persons acting with prior collusion and a common intent, to actively disobey the lawful demands of representatives of authority or to participate in riots accompanied by violence aimed at the forcible seizure of power in Azerbaijan. She repeatedly disseminated the aforementioned video materials on the channel she manages through internet resources accessible to an unlimited number of people. Likewise, by joining together with Abid Abdin oglu Qafarov and others as a group of persons, during dialogues on the same channel on 26 June 2024 and 9 December 2024, she supported the statements of persons with whom she shared a common criminal intent, thereby influencing people’s will and achieving repeated open calls to actively disobey the lawful demands of representatives of authority or to participate in riots accompanied by violence aimed at the forcible seizure of power in Azerbaijan by a group of persons acting with prior collusion and a single intent. She again disseminated these video materials through internet resources accessible to an unlimited number of people. Reasonable suspicions have been established in this regard.

A decision was also made to bring public activist Abid Qafarov, who lives abroad, as an accused person under Articles 220.2 and 281.2 of the Criminal Code.

According to that decision, on 26 February 2024 and 28 April 2024, acting together with other persons as a group with prior collusion, he made repeated deliberate public calls aimed at the forcible seizure of power in Azerbaijan, which is legally formed and functioning, under the pretext of encouraging people to oppose the authorities through unlawful means, that is, through the use of force. These video materials of such content were disseminated on the “AzerFreedom TV” channels. Furthermore, acting together with Sevinc Osman qizi Mirzayeva and other persons as a group with prior collusion, on 26 June 2024 and 9 December 2024, under the pretext of encouraging people to oppose the legally formed and functioning authorities in Azerbaijan by unlawful means, that is, through the use of force, he again made open calls to actively disobey the lawful demands of representatives of authority and to participate in mass riots accompanied by violence aimed at the repeated forcible seizure of power in Azerbaijan by a group of persons acting with prior collusion. These video materials were disseminated through the “Sevinc Osmanqizi TV” channel on the YouTube internet portal, accessible to an unlimited number of people. In addition, acting together with others as a group with prior collusion, on 5 September 2024, under the pretext of encouraging people to oppose the legally formed and functioning authorities in Azerbaijan by unlawful means, that is, through the use of force, he again made open calls to actively disobey the lawful demands of representatives of authority and to participate in mass riots accompanied by violence aimed at the repeated forcible seizure of power. These video materials were disseminated on the “AzerFreedom TV” channel on the YouTube internet portal, accessible to an unlimited number of people. Reasonable suspicions have been established in this regard.

Furthermore, a decision has been made by the Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office to bring Beydulla Manafov, who resides abroad, as an accused person under Articles 281.2 and 283.1 of the Criminal Code.