April 7, Intigam Aliyev awarded the civil rights defender of the year in Stockholm by Civil Rights Defender organization.
Accepting the award was Aliyev's son Najmin Kamil who said, "My father dedicated his tireless and selfless work to the promotion and protection of human rights, and sacrificed his freedom for the freedom of others – just because it is important for him to stand strong for what he believes in, no matter the circumstances”.
"This support is highly valuable because it shows our realities to the world and gives hope about the future of democracy and human rights in Azerbaijan,” said Intigam Aliyev when receiving news about his award.
Echoing Aliyev's words of appreciation on the award, Robert Hårdh, Executive Director at Civil Rights Defenders said, “The 2016 Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award should also be viewed as an encouragement to human rights defenders imprisoned for their work, in Azerbaijan and elsewhere, and serve as a reminder that they are remembered and supported by their colleagues around the world".
Intigam Aliyev was arrested August 8, 2014 and sentenced April 22, 2015 to 7.5 years for tax evasion, abuse of authority, illegal entrepreneurship and appropriation.