The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has filed charges in absentia against a suspect in the aggravated murder of a 20-year-old Azerbaijani citizen, Fatima Kerimova, in Tbilisi. The suspect was her relative.
According to the investigation conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, between June 3 and June 25, 2026, Azerbaijani citizen Emin Aliyev systematically restricted Kerimova’s ability to make independent decisions regarding her life: he forbade her from communicating with relatives and other people, and restricted her right to leave the house and move freely.
Kerimova attempted to leave the rented apartment where they lived together but was unable to do so on her own. According to investigators, Emin Aliyev solely decided whether she could leave the house, communicate with others, and even when she was allowed to eat. The agency believes that in this manner, he unlawfully sought to assert his dominance over the woman.
The investigation established that on the evening of June 25, at around 10 p.m., Emin Aliyev strangled Fatima Kerimova in apartment No. 3 of building No. 45a on Evgenia Maisuradze Street in Tbilisi’s Varketili district. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the motive for the crime was intolerance toward gender equality.
The charges were filed under sub-paragraph “t” of Article 109 of the Criminal Code of Georgia — murder committed on the grounds of intolerance toward the equality of men and women. This article carries a penalty of imprisonment for a term of up to 20 years or life imprisonment.
Within the legally prescribed timeframe, the Prosecutor’s Office will petition the court to order detention as a preventive measure for the accused. He will also be placed on a wanted list.
The body of 20-year-old Azerbaijani citizen Fatima Kerimova was found on June 26 in a rented apartment in Tbilisi. According to available information, the murder suspect is the victim’s cousin.
