Rahimli told a Baku court that she was not involved in the distribution of grants.

The Baku Court of Grave Crimes heard testimony from activist Mehriban Rahimli, who is accused of financial crimes related to her work for an international organization. The defendant denied all charges, stating that she was not involved in the distribution of grants or financial decisions.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, the trial of Mehriban Rahimli, accused of illegally receiving grants, began in Baku in February. She had previously insisted on the full indictment being read out in order to cast doubt on the evidence collected by the investigation. The activist denied the charges, stating that she had legally received a salary from a foreign NGO for 17 years. Rahimli, who is under police surveillance, is charged with large-scale money laundering, abuse of office, and forgery in the so-called case against local and foreign NGOs, which is being investigated by the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan.

On April 27, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes heard Mehriban Rahimli's testimony as a defendant in a criminal case. As Rahimli told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, she denied all charges against her under articles on money laundering, abuse of power, and forgery (Articles 193-1.3.2, 308, and 313 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code).

"All these accusations are unfounded. I provided the court with a detailed account of my education and activities. I began working for various international non-governmental organizations in 2005 as a researcher and advocacy manager," she said.

Since November 2008, Mehriban Rahimli has served as a consultant on Azerbaijan for an American-German organization. The charges brought against her are related specifically to her activities within this structure.

“I had a service agreement with this foundation and served as a consultant. My work consisted of preliminary assessments of civil society projects. Following my preliminary assessment, each project was first reviewed by the foundation’s Bucharest office, then by the Washington, D.C., head office, and its board, after which a final decision was made. I was not a party to any of the agreements for these projects, did not sign any documents on behalf of the foundation, and was not involved in the transfer of funds,” Rahimli emphasized.

She also noted that monetary compensation during her collaboration with the foundation was officially deposited into her account at the International Bank of Azerbaijan. This income was declared and taxed, reflected in quarterly and annual reports.

According to the activist, the organization with which she collaborated from 2008 to 2024 financed an average of 8-10 projects in Azerbaijan annually. "These were primarily initiatives for economic support for women, the prevention of early and forced marriage, educational and social projects. The longest-term and largest support was for the Autism Center. We also supported community development initiatives, women's entrepreneurship, environmental projects, and educational activities. For example, with the foundation's support, 27 libraries were opened in the most remote villages of Azerbaijan," Rahimli explained.

At the court hearing, the state prosecutor asked whether she knew the arrested civil society representatives and whether she had entered into preliminary agreements with grant recipients "for the purpose of generating additional income."

"The prosecutor was referring to whether I had received bribes. I told him that in Azerbaijan, no one would even dare to suggest offering me a bribe. On the other hand, I wasn't the one making decisions about funding projects. As for the arrested activists, yes, of course I knew them and interacted with them through work," Rahimli stated.

An employee of the Baku Court of Grave Crimes told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the next hearing in Rahimli's case is scheduled for May 18. Representatives of the prosecution were unavailable for comment.