Russian court overturns conviction of Azerbaijani diaspora leader, orders retrial

On December 24, the Smolensk Regional Court annulled the conviction of Faig Aliyev, head of the regional public association National Congress of the Smolensk Region and leader of the local Azerbaijani diaspora, sending the case back for retrial.

Aliyev had been convicted by the Lenin District Court of Smolensk on October 16 and was taken into custody in the courtroom, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

The public figure and entrepreneur faced charges of fraud related to unpaid electricity bills at his restaurant (Part 4, Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code) and bribery of an employee at the local branch of Rosseti (Part 4, Article 291). The court initially sentenced him to four years in a penal colony and imposed a fine of 8.4 million rubles ($92,400).

The defence successfully appealed, arguing that the initial court had not adequately weighed mitigating circumstances. Aliyev had admitted his guilt, expressed remorse, and reimbursed damages totaling 840,000 rubles ($9,240). Moreover, he had been consistently described in positive terms. A representative of the Smolensk Public Chamber, Elena Ulyanenkova—of which Aliyev had been a member until recently—attended the proceedings intending to testify, but the judge ruled her testimony unnecessary, noting that the defence had already presented sufficient evidence in his favor.

The regional court ultimately agreed with the defence and ordered a new trial. Aliyev will remain in custody until February 24, 2026. “This is a small, interim victory; we are preparing for the next hearing and hope for a fair outcome,” defence lawyer Olesya Kuznichenko told reporters.

By Vafa Guliyeva