Javad Javadov

On 9 June 2020 lawyer Javad Javadov shared information on social media about the alleged physical ill-treatment of his client Mr. Kerim Suleymanli in police custody. Following this, the Azerbaijan Bar Association (ABA) issued Mr. Javadov with a warning. He had previously visited his client in detention. Mr. Suleymanli informed Mr. Javadov about the ill-treatment and showed him injuries on his body. Mr. Javadov took photographs and later shared them on social media. In a press release issued on 11 June 2020, the ABA alleged that the distribution of such information caused the public to form an erroneous opinion about the events, and that Mr. Javadov therefore violated the Law on Lawyers and Lawyers’ Activities and the Regulations on the Rules of Conduct of Lawyers. Mr. Javadov was also warned by the ABA that serious measures will be taken if such actions continue in the future.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Mr. Suleymanli is a Baku resident who was arrested as part of a police raid on 8 June 2020 in a neighbourhood that had been protesting the strict quarantine measures imposed by the authorities because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The detained citizens reported being forcefully taken from their homes early in the morning and without any prior warning. They have claimed that such disproportionate police violence was unnecessary. The individuals were all sentenced from 10 to 30 days of administrative detention on charges of disobeying police orders.