The expert opinion states that the signatures on the fake documents do not belong to the politician, and data from mobile operators show that he was at a different location at the time of the incident, but the judge ignored this.

On March 10, one of the main critics of the presidential family, politician Tofiq Yaqublu, was sentenced to 9 years in prison.

The decision was made by Judge Elnur Nuriyev of the Baku Serious Crimes Court. Yaqublu was found guilty of committing fraud causing significant damage and preparing fake documents.

However, neither Yaqublu nor local and international public opinion accepts the charges.

Tofiq Yaqublu, a member of the National Council and the Musavat Party, has been one of the main critics of the Aliyev family, which has ruled Azerbaijan for 32 years, and he has been arrested 8 times during this period. He is recognized as a prisoner of conscience.

An investigative report published by "Abzas Media" in September of last year revealed that the charges against Yaqublu were unfounded in 8 episodes.

For instance, Elnur Mammadov testified in court that on December 8, 2023, between 17:13 and 17:20, he met with Tofiq Yaqublu in the Zabrat-1 settlement and gave him 25,000 euros and 10,000 manats. However, following inquiries with the "Nar Mobile" and "Bakcell" mobile operators, it was found that on the same date and time, Tofiq Yaqublu was not in the Zabrat-1 settlement but at the Pirshagi cemetery.

Additionally, Elshan Huseynov testified that on December 8, 2023, at 16:00, he met with Elnur Mammadov near the "Gold Gənclik" shop next to the "Gənclik" metro station and handed him the 25,000 euros and 10,000 manats intended for Tofiq Yaqublu. The money was immediately taken to Yaqublu. However, data from Elnur Mammadov’s mobile number antenna showed that he was in the Mehdiabad, Pirshagi, and Fatmayi areas during the stated time.

Tofiq Yaqublu testified in court that during the confrontation with Elnur Mammadov in the investigation, he noticed Mammadov was wearing a wig. Yaqublu mentioned that Mammadov, being a police "agent," used the wig to avoid recognition, but Mammadov denied this when questioned about it.

Following a motion by the defense, information about Elnur Mammadov's phone calls revealed that during the same period, he had been in contact with a "wig" shop seller.

Yaqublu was arrested in December 2023. Since November 2023, mass arrests have been carried out in Azerbaijan, with journalists, critical writers, human rights defenders, and opposition activists being targeted under various charges.

According to local human rights reports, there are nearly 360 political prisoners in the country.

Local and international organizations consider these persecutions to be politically motivated, while the government denies the allegations.