Azerbaijani court sentences blogger Qabil Mammadov to 16 years in absentia

 An Azerbaijani court has sentenced Germany-based blogger Qabil Mammadov to 16 years in prison in absentia following a trial on 24 criminal charges.

According to local media outlet Report, the verdict was delivered by the Baku Serious Crimes Court, presided over by Judge Elnur Nuriyev.

Investigators allege that between 2015 and 2017, Mammadov defrauded 10 individuals of a total of 29,597 manats by promising state jobs and social benefits. He was also accused of using social media to incite terrorism.

In July 2024, he was charged under multiple articles of the Criminal Code, including fraud, extortion, and terrorism-related offenses. However, as Mammadov remains outside Azerbaijan, the charges could not be formally delivered. In January, a Baku district court issued a warrant for his arrest in absentia.